You understand that you cannot legally "buy politicians"? This invective of yours describing the relationship between advocacy groups and the politicians that support them shows a disdain for Democracy, not an understanding of it. The NRA is not so influential because it slips cash into the personal pockets of elected and administrative officials. It is influential primarily because it's membership consists of many, many people and there are many more not among their membership that agree with them on these issues. 1) The People's Right to Bear Arms is clearly not predicated on any involvement in the Militia by the very text of the Amendment. Else, what does "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed" mean? 2) You are a 100% Wrong that "The People" mention of the second Amendment was intended to infer a collective right rather than an individual one. This is a pet idea that fails because it conflicts with the greater context of the Constitution where "The People" is held in most every other case to be an individual freedom. Historically, the Right was only considered collective starting in the 20th Century, and then corrected. Before that it was all but universally held to be an individual one. 3) Re: https://www.amazon.com/Second-Amendment-Biography-Michael-Waldman/dp/147674744X Have you read this book yourself? 4) I"m pretty sure it's not just the NRA that opposes removal of Constitutional Rights based on suspicion. I find it alarming that there are multiple liberals in this board that are seriously advocating this. 5) So, if we had banned certain ideologies prior to 9/11 during this attacker's formative years, it would have had no chance of preventing this atrocity? That is my point now and I think it would have had a chance, as bad as idea as it would have been. 6) "My Contributions so far"...did I actually accept that we shouldn't have bazookas? And my solution is this: Once again, every freedom bears a social cost. You may not like this cost but I accept it. Disagreeing with what is being said in no way requires me to come up with an alternative, though focusing on mental health issues and availability of services is one possibility.