Its hard to square the Founder's purpose of providing the common citizen, through a militia (which a National Guard), with an effective physical deterrent to governmental tyranny with many restrictions on the type of weapons a citizen in good standing may keep and bear. Though allowing the guy next door to own a nuke or a F-15 may be going too far, its not unreasonable for any of us to keep and bear any arm that our police forces (including S.W.A.T. teams) field.
Where does this "citizen in good standing" stuff come from? I see it a lot from what I will call "weak Second Amendment" supporters. They talk about "good citizens" and "law-abiding citizens" as having Second Amendment rights.
If someone has been apprehended and convicted and imprisoned for a real crime, then of course various of their normal rights are no longer in forced. If, however, they are out of prison then all of their rights, including speech, religion, assembly, firearms, due process, security of their possessions and property, speedy trial, blah blah blah are of course in force.
As a felon, which I am, do I not have First Amendment rights? As a felon, and certainly not a citizen in good standing, have I lost my other rights?
To all who say "Yes," including most of the Eurotrash collectivists here, I say your legacy shall be smoke. Tens of millions, perhaps billions, need to be sent up the chimneys.
"The great object is that every man be armed and everyone who is able may have a gun." --Patrick Henry--Tim May
"The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed." --Alexander Hamilton
