Letter To The Editor: Militia
Author: Doug Purcell
With the uproar in the country, I wonder how many people know that private militias are illegal in all 50 states. The laws vary state-to-state. The following is the Montana Militia Law per the Georgetown University Law Center fact sheet.
Montana Constitution: The Montana Constitution forbids private military units from operating outside state authority, providing that “the military shall always be in strict subordination to the civil power.” (MCA 2021 Constitution II§32)
Montana Statute: It is a felony in Montana to “purposely or knowingly [assemble] for the purpose of training in, instructing in the use of, or practicing with any technique or means capable of causing property damage, bodily injury, or death, with the purpose of employing the training, instruction, or practice in a civil disorder.” (MCA 2021 45-8-109)
The Opinion of the Supreme Court in the matter of District of Columbia v. Heller (554 U.S. 570, 2008) states that Presser v. Illinois, 116 U.S. 252 (1886), says “nothing about the Second Amendment’s meaning or scope, beyond the fact that it does not prevent the prohibition of private paramilitary organizations.”
In a time of mass shootings, if you see something, say something.
Doug Purcell
Townsend
