Militia for border protection

[BlueTrain]

Through a whole series of links when I started out researching Ishapore Lee-Enfields (we'll talk about them later), I ran across a web page for some Canadian Ranger outfit that is still using No. 4 Lee-Enfields. In fact, I was surprised that on one of the Canadian Army web pages about their small arms, they show all sorts of fancy AR variations, all with some "C-" model numbers, plus the old No. 4, yet no C1 FAL's in sight. Anyhow, that got me to thinking and you never know where that will end up either.

It seems the mission of the Canadian Rangers is to protect the northern flank of the country. They are made up of part-timers and also have a junior element. Judging from the photographs, most of the members in the regular element are, uh, older. And they use .303 Lee-Enfields and like them.

Given some of our current problems along our southern border, perhaps we should form some similar unit. Only we couldn't call them rangers. That name is on reserve in the Southwest, or I think it is. Surely we could form independent, part time company sized units for service along the border from people living in the border states. Many would probably be willing to serve without pay, just like in volunteer fire outfits. The army surely has lots of semi-obselescent small arms (see other threads about M-1's) that could be put to use. Or perhaps we could borrow some Lee-Enfields from somewhere.

If we don't do something soon, there will be a fifth column inside the country and things could could fall apart before we knew what was happening. Maybe we should have something along these lines on the northern border as well, just to be on the safe side.

What do you think? It's just a thought.

 

[TimRB]

This was tried recently -- the Minutemen. Even though they were nearly 100 percent effective, they were routinely villified in the press as "vigilantes". So if we have civilians protect the borders, we have packs of vigilantes; if we have the military do it, we're paranoid war-mongers, disrespecting our continental neighbors.

Tim

 

[BlueTrain]

Nope, you got the wrong idea. I mean as part of either the Defense Department or Homeland Security, just like the Army Reserve and sort of like the National Guard. Not civilians, either, but enrolled members of a federal agency. Trained and well regulated. (What part of well regulated don't you understand?) Government equipped. Part of the chain of command. Not somebody's private army.

Where there's a will, there's a way. But perhaps it is a question of whether or not we want that sort of thing.

Anyone checking on the supply of available small arms? Might be hard to come by now. There's a war on, you know. That's why some ammunition is getting scarce.

 

[TimRB]

"Trained and well regulated. (What part of well regulated don't you understand?)"

Well, I can see I've given this thread all the consideration it deserves. See ya.

Tim

 

[Trapp]

Anyone checking on the supply of available small arms?

This should happen soon, the Coast Guard is getting rid of the M9......

There is gonna be enough surplus Berettas to handle the Southern border.