Dear Editor,

So let’s talk about this “well regulated militia, essential to the security of a free state” behind the firearms free for all in America.

Yes, a band of farmers and villagers did very bravely stand up to British regulars at Lexington and Concord. Beginning and end of the myth. When the British surrendered at Yorktown, Cornwallis’ 9,000 troops were facing 8,000 experienced America troops — not militia — and 8,000 French regulars. British reinforcements at sea were blocked by a French fleet, manned by French non-militia, sailors.

At the start of the Revolutionary War, the Colonies forwarded their militias to Washington’s army, where they were trained, became well regulated, and evolved into great fighting units.

But that’s not what today’s Second Amendment folk are talking about. They’re talking about bands of armed citizens who will coalesce and take down any threats to their vision of America – foreign threats or threats from our own government.

Which is nonsense. Try looking at the Indian Wars in the Ohio Valley right after the Revolution, and before the new United States decided it needed to involve itself (and sent General Wayne).

American militia were routinely pummeled by the Indians. In 1782, they were trounced at Blue Licks (72 dead), the Battle of Little Mountain (Estil’s Defeat, 20 dead), the Battle of Sandusky (70-200 dead, who knows?

Militia tended to just go home. But Colonel Crawford was captured and burned at the stake), in 1790 near present day Fort Wayne (Harmar’s Defeat, 262 dead) and finally in 1791 at the Battle of the Wabash (St. Clair’s Defeat: 650 dead, plus all the camp follower women and children, worse than Custer’s, worse than Braddock’s defeat in the French and Indian War).

It’s certainly true much of Wayne’s army started as militia, but Wayne spent a year and a half training them, ‘well regulating’ them, before his new America Legion crushed the Indians at Fallen Timbers.

Historically militia are rabble, even when they all have guns the same caliber. But the Second Amendment folks’ romantic vision of the grassroots citizen soldiery is taking America straight down the toilet.

Russell