Oklahoma Militia.....

I dont know if you have heard, but there is talk in Oklahoma about a STATE militia.... Not just a bunch of peeps who call themselves a militia and run around in the back 40 in camo with guns (not that there is anything wrong with that....im just sayin')..... A STATE LEGISLATED Oklahoma Militia.

Now - I have friends, acquaintances, peeps on the street, who think this idea is insane. And honestly, I had an initial adverse reaction. And like I like to do, I tested WHY I thought it was a bad idea... And mostly, it came down to the connotation of a militia. Kind of like the Branch Davidians ruined the word "Compound", some "interesting" people have ruined the word "militia" for me.

But when I start to really think about it, I say its a good thing. Here are my reasons:

1 - I know we have the "National Guard" - and a Militia might be kind of the same thing, but this would be entirely OURS - OUR STATE GUARD - OUR PEOPLE - OUR DEFENSE - OUR PROTECTION. If the US Government doesnt like it, isnt supportive, I have to wonder why? Would their motives towards our State be more in their interest and not ours? If so, then all the more reason for an Oklahoma Militia.

2 - I cant think of anything better than having TRAINED citizens knowing how to use the weapons they already own. Seriously - wouldnt you feel better knowing your neighbor knows how to use that AR-15 instead of just showing it off at the neighborhood bar-b-que?

3 - Oklahomans would have some skin in the game. Oklahomans would have to decide if they are going to actively participate in what goes on in their state. It is a line in the sand. Its a wake up call. Its a splash of cold water to wake up so much of those that are still asleep.

4 - Finally, this is the core - THE CORE - of our 2nd Amendment right. If I waver on this one, then I waver on all of them.

It boils down for me that FREEDOM IS DANGEROUS. It is dangerous for those that want to take it - Its dangerous for those that want to keep it - Its dangerous to live in it.

Thomas Jefferson said as much: "I prefer Dangerous Freedom Over Peaceful Slavery"

Freedom means that I may be injured by an idiot next door. Freedom means that I may crash and burn and have no back up. Freedom means that I may be asked to take care of a neighbor out of charity because they are old. Freedom means that I may have to give more than I am comfortable giving - food, money, blood, time - because I want my kids to have the same shot at life that I enjoy or would like to enjoy.

Freedom ultimately is trust.

So, yeah, I support an Oklahoma Militia. Not because I think we may need it for defense, but because we need it to remind us exactly what we are SUPPOSED to be.

So, if it still sounds like a bad idea to you, if you feel the Government should take care of you - Then, Mr. Samuel Adams said it best...

"If ye love wealth better than liberty,
the tranquility of servitude
better than the animating contest of freedom,
go home from us in peace.
We ask not your counsels or your arms.
Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you.
May your chains set lightly upon you,
and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen."