The Florida Militia
 

This post is not to re-ignite the Second Amendment discussion, but rather to educate people who are apparently ignorant of facts about the modern militia. There is no shame to being ignorant; only in refusing to learn.

Florida law makes a distinction between the "organized militia" and the "unorganized militia." I have in my lifetime been a member of each.

Do not make the error of believing that the concept of the militia is obsolete.

Florida Statutues

250.02 Militia.—
(1) The militia consists of all able-bodied citizens of this state and all other able-bodied persons who have declared their intention to become citizens.
(2) The organized militia is composed of the National Guard and any other organized military forces that are authorized by law.
(3) The unorganized militia is composed of all persons who are subject to military duty but who are not members of units of the organized militia.
(4) Only persons exempt from military duty by the terms of federal law are exempt from military duty in this state.
History.—s. 4, ch. 8502, 1921; CGL 2015; s. 1, ch. 25112, 1949; s. 1, ch. 73-93; s. 2, ch. 2003-68.
Note.—Former ss. 250.04, 250.05.

You might want to make a search of the militia for your home state. You might be surprised to learn that there is a provision somewhere in your state's law that provides for both an organized militia and an unorganized militia. There is a lot more to it than just the National Guard.

So you've presented a fairly vague post about militia in the guise of educating us...what precisely is your point? Because in the interest of being educated you haven't provided a basis for posting this.

Carl your opening sentence explains the basis for what followed. You do most of us a service because the arguments against have discredited the issue of a readied citizen. Thank you.

I have never known Carl to post anything without the point being sharp and clear. there will always be those who misunderstand a post no matter how clearly it's articulated. It seems to me that the point is obvious, that perhaps many of us were unaware of this law on militia.

i'm intrigued and pondering the definition of able-bodied with regard to the organized militia…

My father was English. Since the British were kicked out of America by the original militia, would I be welcome to join? Could I ask for a statistical report on how many women, minorities and a breakout by religious beliefs so I can be sure this band of citizens represents all Americans?

A militia consists of volunteer members. As Americans we embrace ALL that wish to defend our liberty and freedom. Any religious belief or ethnicity is welcome because freedom and liberty is the commonality.

Thank you. As long as the interpretation of freedom and liberty comes from all sexes, races and religions, count me in. However, I fear some malitias get their start from a select group of men sitting at the counter of local watering holes. My hope is that I am wrong.

Definitely not to argue but I saw that Florida Statute 790.29 seems to prohibit paramilitary training. Isn't that still a law on the books?

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=190.06

Minnesota seems to have more details in how they see a militia.

What do some of your former states say about this?

I would expect though if we were being overrun by Chinese that the State Governors in question would want to arm the militia's with a little more than shotguns, 30-30s, pistols and the like. You would need much heavier firepower against Chinese armored cars, tanks, etc.

Why does he not just come out and say "Florida has a militia and it is legal....if you want to join let us know"? And then state why we should join.

It is vague because he doesn't state any particular reason for the post other than to say it's legal and been around a while. No different than making a post that I hunt with a license and people have been doing it for ages....it's vague and meant to sort of educate...so you like his post...all that means is that you are or could be friends...

I remember writing the NRA maybe twenty years ago about my 224 613 Project. It is the same kind of principal of checks and balances through access to the ability to fight for yourself. In my Project's case though it was the ability to find up-to-date and practical information to weather the storm of the legal system if you were a survivor/victim of crime.

I have mixed feelings about gun control though being a survivor/victim activist as so many guns are used in mass shootings which would belong more in an armory than say in someone's gun cabinet.

The problem of course is an evil group of people getting control of the armory if such weapons were just in these kind of armories rather than in the hands of citizens.

This does seem to be a very complicated and interesting topic.

I would like to know more about what other States' Statutes say about militias? How about your home state?

On a little amusing aside, I tried contacting Playboy as well as the NRA around the same time and the nice woman who answered from Playboy said that they would not be interested in writing an article on any topic like that one. Not even a picture!

Maybe the OP was providing some information that he thought would pique your interest and motivate you to do a little research on your own. And then again, maybe not.

Ahhh....
 

your post explains that you all are trying to recruit people for your "cause"....being blithely obtuse in your desire to promote a citizen army and I'm guessing the right to own fire arms....

I guess you're wary against a straight forward post stating that....might scare a few folks...

It seemed to me that Carl in Tampa was just interested in getting us to actually look at the state laws on militias. That's a great idea IMHO. And, I do not think you need a lawyer to interpret these laws unlike many other much more complicated areas of law.

Doing research on the laws is a great start to informed discussions about things.

Based on your assumptions and inferences, I guess you don't believe in the 2nd A, and by extension, the BOR. Why not just say that?