[William Tell]

robertpaulsen said: By "replaced", I meant "filled the gap", "substituted", along those lines."

Great. Then the substitute must be necessary to the security of a free State. For that reason, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

Please tell me how you became convinced that the militia mentioned in the Second Amendment is a state militia? Why can't it be a territorial militia? Or a federal militia?

[robertpaulsen]

"Then the substitute must be necessary to the security of a free State"

Whoa! Nope. Who says?

"Please tell me how you became convinced that the militia mentioned in the Second Amendment is a state militia?"

The words, "being necessary to the security of a free State" was really my first clue.

Now, you want to make a case that it's something else, be my guest. Do you have a cite or a link that I can read? I'd be interested.

Unless, of course, you're just jerking my chain like that other poster admitted.