<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:times new roman,new york,times,serif;font-size:12pt">The <span style="font-style: italic;">Oxford English Dictionary</span> has one definition of "bear" as a verb that has a military implication:<br><p>
<br></p><p><a name="50018836-mI.6"></a><b>6.</b> To carry about with or upon one, as material equipment or ornament.<a name="50018836def22"></a> <a name="50018836-mI.6.a"></a><b>a.</b> To carry about with one, or wear, ensigns of office, weapons of offence or defence. <a name="50018836se35"></a><b><i>to bear arms against</i></b>: to be engaged in hostilities with.
</p><a name="50018836q113"></a><div class="qt"><nobr><b><i>a</i>1000</b></nobr> <i>Beowulf</i> 432 <nobr>Sec<img src="http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:2216/graphics/parser/gifs/sp/asg.gif" alt="{asg}" align="absbottom" border="0" height="14" width="7">as</nobr> <nobr>b<img src="http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:2216/graphics/parser/gifs/sp/aeacu.gif" alt="{aeacu}" align="absbottom" border="0" height="14" width="9">ron</nobr>..beorhte frętwa. <a name="50018836q114"></a><nobr><b><i>a</i>1175</b></nobr> <i>Lamb. Hom.</i> 69 Crist..<nobr><img src="http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:2216/graphics/parser/gifs/sp/ygh.gif" alt="{ygh}" align="absbottom" border="0" height="14" width="7">eue</nobr> us wepne for to beren. <a name="50018836q115"></a><nobr><b><i>c</i>1400</b></nobr> <a href="http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:2216/help/bib/oed2-m.html#mandeville" target="oedbib" color="#002653"><font color="#002653">M<small>ANDEVILLE</small></font></a> vi. 64 Thei beren but o Scheld and o Spere. <a
name="50018836q116"></a><nobr><b>?1568</b></nobr> G. F<small>ERRERS</small> in Arb. <i>Garner</i> IV. 179 Apt to bear arms. <a name="50018836q117"></a><nobr><b>1609</b></nobr> <a href="http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:2216/help/bib/oed2-s3.html#skene" target="oedbib" color="#002653"><font color="#002653">S<small>KENE</small></font></a> <i>Reg. Maj.</i> 60 He bure armes, and made weir against the King. <a name="50018836q118"></a><nobr><b>1769</b></nobr> <a href="http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:2216/help/bib/oed2-r2.html#robertson" target="oedbib" color="#002653"><font color="#002653">R<small>OBERTSON</small></font></a> <i>Chas. V</i>, III. <small>XI</small>. 316 An ample..pardon to all who had born arms against him. <a name="50018836q119"></a><nobr><b>1862</b></nobr> <a href="http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:2216/help/bib/oed2-s4.html#stanley" target="oedbib" color="#002653"><font color="#002653">S<small>TANLEY</small></font></a> <i>Jew. Ch.</i> (1877) I. v. 94 The staff
like that still borne by Arab chiefs.<br><br>But, as I said, people differ as to the exact meaning in the Second Amendment..<br></div><br><div> </div>Ron Force<br>Moscow Idaho USA<div><br></div><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><hr size="1"><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">From:</span></b> Robert Dickow <dickow@uidaho.edu><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> Craine Kit <kcraine@frontier.com>; Garrett Clevenger <garrettmc@frontier.com><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cc:</span></b> vision2020_moscow.com <vision2020@moscow.com><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Sat, November 6, 2010 3:20:25 PM<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re: [Vision2020] discharging firearms<br></font><br>
Concerning 'bearing arms' and the term 'bear,' <br>while <a target="_blank" href="http://Dictionary.com">Dictionary.com</a> may show this definition...<br><br>"22. to have and use; exercise: to bear authority; to bear sway."<br><br>I question its application in the context of 'bearing arms' to mean to 'use'<br>the gun. Just use <br>'bear' as a substitution in a sentence and you'll see why:<br><br>"Aim high when you bear your gun". (This still refers to the posture of<br>holding the gun, not shooting it.).<br><br>"Don't make noise when I bear my gun at yonder rabbit." (Just doesn't make<br>sense.)<br><br>"Hands up, Mr., or I'll take my gun and bear it." (Also doesn't make much<br>sense.)<br><br>I don't think the original meaning was all that different than our sense of<br>it today.<br><br>Bob Dickow, troublemaker<br><br><br><br> -----Original Message-----<br>From: <a ymailto="mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com"
href="mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com">vision2020-bounces@moscow.com</a> [mailto:<a ymailto="mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com" href="mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com">vision2020-bounces@moscow.com</a>]<br>On Behalf Of Craine Kit<br>Sent: Friday, November 05, 2010 7:12 PM<br>To: Garrett Clevenger<br>Cc: <a target="_blank" href="http://vision2020_moscow.com">vision2020_moscow.com</a><br>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] discharging firearms<br><br>Since languages change over time, perhaps the question should be "how <br>was 'bear' defined when the constitution was written"?<br><br>Kit Craine<br><br><br>On Nov 5, 2010, at 5:12 PM, Garrett Clevenger <<a ymailto="mailto:garrettmc@frontier.com" href="mailto:garrettmc@frontier.com">garrettmc@frontier.com</a>> <br>wrote:<br><br>> I got my definition at dictionary.com. It was the last definition <br>> for the verb "bear"<br>><br>> "22. to have and use;
exercise: to bear authority; to bear sway."<br>><br>> Perhaps it's a gun lover conspiracy to change the word to fit their <br>> favor?<br><snip><br><br>=======================================================<br> List services made available by First Step Internet, <br> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. <br><span> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.fsr.net">http://www.fsr.net</a> </span><br> mailto:<a ymailto="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com" href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>=======================================================<br></div></div>
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