It is alarming when a serving military man publicly ignores the law. It is doubly so when he is not only a Lieutenant Colonel but also a professor who has taught at the military academy at West Point. LTC Robert Bateman's
recent Esquire blog misstates the law and misunderstands the role guns play in US society.
LTC Bateman asserts "As of 1903, the "militia" has been known as the National Guard" and links to an
analysis of the act. The reality is quite different if you actually
read the first paragraph of the act.
That the militia shall consist of every able-bodied male citizen of the respective States, Territories, and the District of Columbia, and every able-bodied male of foreign birth who has declared his intention to become a citizen, who is more than eighteen and less than forty-five years of age, and shall be divided into two classes—the organized militia, to be known as the National Guard of the State, Territory, or District of Columbia, or by such other designations as may be given them by the laws of the respective States or Territories, and the remainder to be known as the Reserve Militia.
In other words, the heart of his argument that the militia is not the whole of the people rests at the very beginning on a lie. In the case of an ignorant youth, this might be excused but not a high ranking military professional who has had the responsibility of teaching our future military leaders. It is inexcusable. Given further legislative developments since 1903 regarding discrimination based on sex, I doubt that even this definition of militia is supportable at present because it is too narrow but even this outdated definition is an ocean compared to the teacup that LTC Bateman wants to leave for 2nd amendment rights.
Since it's established that LTC Bateman doesn't necessarily respect the truth, it's important to check on the rest of his assertions. One of them is that "Weapons are there for the "well regulated militia." Their use, therefore, must be in defense of the nation." The police are not in the national guard, does their use of arms defend the nation? Are they a well regulated militia? Is he calling for the disarmament of the police? Perhaps he does, perhaps he doesn't. By the terms of his argument, they shouldn't be armed but perhaps he did not want to completely embarrass himself. The alternative is that he is arguing that the police
are a militia. This militarization of the police is an entirely different kind of problem, no less disconnected from the american tradition or problematic for our liberties but different than the question of their armament.
LTC Bateman repeatedly says in this article "hunting is valid". Then again he also says that weapons "must be in defense of the nation". So why is hunting valid? I'm guessing because it polls well enough that gun controllers would earn permanent minority status if they were to be perceived as anti-hunting and he personally knows a few hunters who he'd like to continue to see socially.
Another assertion is that "No 7-11 in history has ever been held up with" a black powder musket. That might be true though
black powder firearms robbery is not exactly unheard of, though rare.
A little investigation yields the possibility that the whole thing is part of a
joke of a presidential run which includes such gems as the forced deportation of gun owners (unclear whether they can come back afterwards) and bringing back the draft. So one viable theory might be that he's just kidding here.
I'm inclined to a different one, that we should feel sorry for LTC Bateman and his recent stroke that has apparently affected his mental capacity. Our ire should be saved for Esquire magazine and its editorial staff that has encouraged this man to nationally embarrass himself.
cross posted:
Chicago Boyz
