If it was ever intende to be a militia governed by the individual states, they wouldn't have named it the NATIONAL Guard...
3-4% owned firearms. Well, lah-de-dah. Funny, that seems out of whack when about 5% fought in the revolution. Where did our minutemen learn to shoot, if they had never owned/fired a firearm? We didn't have extensive marksmanship training, especially since our armed forces were loosely organized, at best.
Another interesting point - at the founding of our nation, "citizen" meant caucasian land owners - they were the only ones with a right to vote. However, in the bill of rights, they refer to the rights of "the people". I think Thomas Jefferson, et al were smart enough to know what they were saying - "the people" have the right to say what they want, arm themselves, etc. - not just the rich people, not just white males, not the states, not the country, not the army, but THE PEOPLE...it seems clear to me what they meant.
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Beginner barbarians probably had the idea that every house they broke into would be full of untouched loot and frightened, unarmed victims. It just doesn't work that way, my friend.