It is clear that Scalia was taken out of context...but I wish that he would clear the air a bit at some point by making note of the fact that the Congress has the power, under the Constitution, to “grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal...”
How is it that Congress granted such letters during the War of 1812 to shipowners to take on British naval vessels if those shipowners didn’t ALREADY own a multitude of cannon? This is almost akin to Bill Gates or Warren Buffet or Walmart owning a carrier battle group to protect their business interests, and then being given the power to take on the Russian or Chinese navy in a time of war.
The very power to grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal is quite meaningless without the pre-existing ownership of some pretty devastating weapons by private citizens. thus, there should be NO limits on what people may own, perhaps with the restriction of WMDs (and a theoretical argument in FAVOR of such weapons in private hands could be made...how can a creation of the people - government - have powers that the people themselves don’t have?).
People also have to take their time to read and understand what he said. I understood what said clearly and why other people refuse to do so is mind-boggling.