Should Civilians Have Access to Military Weapons and Training?

What did America’s founding fathers have in mind about lethal tools and tactics when penning the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution? Back then the right to bear arms and organize a well-trained militia were the only means for the fledgling country to defend against invasion and tyrannical rule. What about today?

Back in 1776 and in the decades after, families knew how to protect themselves, communities were prepared to defend against threats, and, when called upon, militias could join forces to defend the nation.

These skills were coded into the nation’s DNA. Otherwise the War of 1812 would have ended much differently.

But what I don't think the founding fathers had envisioned was a standing Army or the highly advanced weapons and tactics of today's police forces.

Still, the right to similar skills and tools is written into our Constitution, and some would say it’s even mandated that we maintain skills and weaponry commensurate with current times and technology.

So should you have F-15s and Sherman Tanks and all the laser-guided weaponry available to our military? Should you know how to make a drug arrest or be skilled with handcuffs or be trained in SWAT tactics?

Does WPS Teach Civilians Military/Law Enforcement Tactics?

While some of us former military types are limited in the military tools and tactics we can teach legally (thanks to ITAR), there's a big part of me that gets a little worked up when I sense King George is using national security to limit our response to future tyranny.

So while I'm limited in what I can legally teach, I don't think citizens should be limited in their ability to prepare to defend their families, communities, and homeland.

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Of course, practicality is a factor in all of this. Do you really need a tank? Do you really need to learn how to make a felony arrest?

Unfortunately we don't really know tank tactics or how to teach them, and we don't have access to an F-15, and this brings up the even bigger question and concern than the relevance of the training, and that is the fear we might be giving away tactics, techniques, and procedures that could give bad guys an upper hand.

The answer, of course, is no. Everything we teach is legal to teach, is open source, and a lot of it would be useful to civilians and non-civilians alike.

Should You Take Those Kinds of Classes?

There's certainly some value in attending classes intended for law enforcement, and there could be some frustration about the applicability of the skills taught there.

But if you're a civilian and you want to go take team CQB or get some basic patrolling and small unit tactics type training, you can show up to it wide-eyed knowing that this is not necessarily contextually relevant in a defensive situation. You might have a good time. While you may not use this in the real world, it's at least better than sitting on the couch all day.

The 2nd Amendment Applies Today

Here's the issue with today's society. We're afraid of guns and we're afraid of pain and many of us have fallen into believing that the government is going to take care of us and defend us.

And while this should be the case, it's not a reliable sentiment.

What this has produced is a society ill prepared to defend their communities, to defend against tyranny, to defend against a woke mob of flimsy-armed ANTIFA crazies.

The French and Indian War prepared the Patriots for the Revolutionary War. The Revolutionary War prepared the colonists for the War of 1812. World War II was manned by soldiers who remembered World War II and who had survived The Great Depression.

What's preparing us today for what's to come?

I love the idea of civilians training together in groups. I think it's important for people to learn how to work together like that and to be prepared to protect together.

The luxury we enjoy today has weakened us for the suffering we might have to face tomorrow, and that's not a good quality for a society.

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That's why Warrior Poet Society is working so hard to provide in-person training in CQB, land navigation, marksmanship, and skills like that. It's why we're also working hard to create useful videos so that guys can train on these things at home.

Besides, men need an outlet for masculinity. We need to howl at the moon, do stuff that's dangerous and gritty and tough and challenging, because it makes us stronger men and better protectors. If you're not doing that, you just default to watching sports all day, doing the video game thing, scrolling your life away and being just a round, useless slug.

However you train, Train Hard. Train Smart. Live Free.