Dear Editor:
Arms should be construed to mean all kinds of arms, including archery, edged weapons, antiques,and modern firearms.
Nowhere in the Constitution is there an understanding that the government at any level has a right to be better armed than the general population.
The Founders understood that governments can accrue more power than necessary and become tyrannical. Only when the free people are armed and the government has a genuine respect (fear) of the population can the people remain free.
Yet the government at all levels believes that only the military and the police have a right to keep and bear automatic and semi-automatic (meaning auto-loading) firearms and gun with magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.
The bearing of arms is being infringed at all levels of government including the shipping of arms to purchasers and the bearing of arms in certain places and the purchase of certain kinds of weapons including pepper spray in some states.
Of what use is it to keep and bear arms for home defense of the defending of people and property outside the home when the discharge of a firearm is contrary to law by many local ordinances?
Missouri has a castle defense statute but if a homeowner in Jefferson City discharges a firearm in the direction of an intruder he violates a local ordinance.
And what about laws that forbid brandishing of a firearm? If an armed citizen confronts an armed criminal in many cases the citizen will be arrested for brandishing.
The present administration is trying to make a case that hunting is immoral, shooting for sports are for freaks and anyone who wants to own a gun is crazy.
"Don't tread on me" is for free citizens, not subjects.