Ever wondered what the Constitution meant by well-regulated militias?
Apparently it was state militias made up of local men, well-regulated and controlled by the states. They eventually became the National Guard. It was not a bunch of yahoos playing soldier with weapons of mass destruction trying to organize a race war.
If you watch this video, now you know.
A couple of definitions...
noun
plural noun: militias
-
a military force that is raised from the civil population to supplement a regular army in an emergency.
"creating a militia was no answer to the army's manpower problem"
-
a military force that engages in rebel or terrorist activities in opposition to a regular army.
-
all able-bodied civilians eligible by law for military service.
Legal legitimacy
Most militia organizations envisage themselves as legally legitimate organizations, despite the fact that all 50 states prohibit private paramilitary activity.