Tennessee Firearms Assoc. Inc.

New debate, maybe. Very interesting article, nonetheless.

We are so trained by our governments to accept significant police forces which increasingly and in some instances as we watch the news resemble special forces units rather than - well was nothing similar at the time of our Founding Fathers. The question is, looking back, would our Founding Fathers have defined our current state and national investment in armed officers patrolling our state and this Country as a "standing army"?

I say yes, especially if they knew what happened to Cav Arms.

I agree that the modern day police force functions as a standing army, the BATF surely fits that description.

Of course they are a 'standing army'. The one saving grace is that their power is fragmented across the multitude of Federal, State, county, city, and other governments that control them.

In fact, it could probably be argued that our highly-militarized police forces could be considered the modern equivalent of the early militias. In those days, the militia was responsible for most of the functions today performed by the police.

I guess my Libertarian roots are showing here, but I feel like the different forces are simply in place to support the current power structure, and not the Rule of Law. Seems as to how the oaths taken are to protect and defend the Constitution from ALL enemies, both foreign and domestic. If that oath was taken seriously it would be one thing, but any more, it appears that the majority of the government is set on destroying the Constitution.

If you take a look at it historically, I see police as being politically motivated,urged by their leaders to perform in certain venues, I never see them patrol with vigilance high crime area's to the contrary off the record they say I won't go there without lots and lots of backup,, look at congress, they won't even enforce with vigilance the federal law of immigration, to the contrary on the orders of obama's henchmen they are backing off! they only fully do their job when it's politically advantageous,,,, wouldn't the framer's of our constitution be so proud of them, as well as us for allowing this twisted representation of their crowning success ? It seems the obama henchmen holder may have been right to the contrary of his insinuation ,that we are a nation of cowards,,, what about Ol Ben, those who give up liberties and freedom for temporary safety , deserve neither,,,, and don't write me to correct the quote, the point is, sitting back and hoping that sanity and justice will prevail is like praying for rain when your house is on fire.....I'm just sayin,,,,