[billbears]

It has everything to do with this. A group that chooses to separate itself peacefully from the union should not be attacked by the militia. As evidenced by my quote from Jefferson. Of course a good part of the 'militia' is over in a foreign land 'spreading democracy' and from the looks of it will be there for awhile

[The Scourge of Yazid]

I don't want to re-hash the whole history of the Civil War (god knows we have enough mind-numbingly boring Ken Burns documentaries that serve exactly the same purpose), but who fired the first shots at Ft. Sumter. Hmmm?

[ought-six]

"Of course a good part of the 'militia' is over in a foreign land 'spreading democracy' and from the looks of it will be there for awhile."

I am unaware of any American militia "over in a foreign land spreading democracy." The American military is in Afghanistan and Iraq, but the only militiamen in those countries are indigenous. If you are of the opinion that the National Guard is a militia, you are mistaken. The National Guard is a part of the national military, uniformed and equipped and under the control of the federal government. The militia of the U.S. Constitution, and the one the Founders envisioned, comprise all the adult citizenry of the United States and its various individual states. We, the American people, are the general militia.