The 2nd Amendment basically lay dormant for 200 years. When I was in law school, in the 1960's, it wasn't discussed, because it was pretty much considered a dead letter, like the prohibition against quartering troops in private houses. I went ahead and researched the Miller case on my own because I was interested in guns.
We may now be witnessing the start of similar controversy over the 1st amendment.
Well, it is well known (to us, at least, but ironically not to the media) that when the 2nd is repealed, the 1st is effectively dead also.
It is designed to make .gov collectively crap their pants if they think of forming a dictatorship ruled by the gun. The 'Billy Bob Brigade' might not seem like a huge deterrent, but take a look at the effective resistance in Afghanistan. Now add on top of that the reluctance of LEO's and US troops to fire on their own, no matter what survey the service made them sign, (many cops and servicemembers are gun owners themselves) and you quickly come to the conclusion that an outside military force will have to be brought in. There would be popular support against that, and then how do you send that 'helping' force home?
And the rest of the constitution as well.
