>ALL countries have free speech.
>
>Countries with an armed population have freedom AFTER speech.
>

You mean like Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, England, France....

jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com
(all message content (c) 2000 by
synthetic worlds, ltd., permission
to reprint specifically denied to
SFX Magazine)

People who cite the 2nd Amendment tend to forget the first part of it, which
refers to a WELL REGULATED MILITIA.

At the time when the Constitution was written, there was no such thing as an
American army. People would work as farmers or silversmiths or merchants, and
would participate as members of a militia in case of problems from the British
or any other invading force from the OUTSIDE.

jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com
(all message content (c) 2000 by
synthetic worlds, ltd., permission
to reprint specifically denied to
SFX Magazine)

>"Militia" means part-time military. In the old days, a "draft" would be
>issued by appropriate authority to fund a certain number of men for a
>certain time and / or task. Every town had a militia officer, often the
>mayor, who was to be given the draft and who would then call those men
>he felt were needed, up to the number which the draft would pay. It was
>purely voluntary (the "compelled draft" was first issued in this country
>during the Civil War).

Precisely. Now the question is, how many people who cite the 2nd amendment and
say they hold steadfastly to it would agree to the first half of the statement
under those conditions, and be willing to voluntarily serve in a militia?

Darned few, I would suggest.


jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com
(all message content (c) 2000 by
synthetic worlds, ltd., permission
to reprint specifically denied to
SFX Magazine)

>But being a writer and knowing how to punctuate sentences you know that a
>comma
>means a new clause or thought. , THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO KEEP AND BEAR
>ARMS
>SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED. Look it up in the numerous writing style books.

>A comma
>initiates a new clause or thought into a paragraph or sentence.

No it doesn't. A comma paves the way for clarifications of or expansions on
the first thought. If it's a NEW thought, it's followed by either a semi
colon, a colon or a period.

Sorry, but you're wrong.

(Which, above, by your reasoning, would mean "sorry" has nothing to do with
"but you're wrong," and you could assume that I was referring to something ELSE
you were wrong about. Doesn't work that way.)

jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com
(all message content (c) 2000 by
synthetic worlds, ltd., permission
to reprint specifically denied to
SFX Magazine)