Letter writer David Mills (June 15) and contributor George D. Christie (June 16) writing in “Another View,” suffer concern when others reference the Second Amendment and do not include the beginning: “A well regulated militia….” It seems they may be implying that the omission indicates an admission that the Second Amendment may be on weak legal standing. Mills and Christie imply strongly that the word “militia” could only refer to the circumstance of our nation at the time of independence. The implication is now that the U.S. has a standing army, navy, air force and other services, the need for a “militia” as described in the Second Amendment is eliminated.

“Militia” is defined in Section 311, Chapter 13, Subtitle A, Title 10-AF in the U.S. Code, which is the compilation of the general and permanent federal laws. It says, “Militia composition includes all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and under 45 years of age who are, or have made a declaration of intension to become, citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard.

“Militia classes are the Organized Militia, which consists of the National Guard and the Naval Militia, and the Unorganized Militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the Naval Militia.”

Accordingly, the United States civilian militia does legally exist.

Mills, by inclusion, suggests that the National Rifle Association is responsible for thousands of U.S. firearms deaths.

If this is logical, then would Mills suggest that motor vehicle manufacturers are responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths in alcohol-related crashes?

I’d call that fractured thinking at best.

Michael A. Cameron

Winthrop

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