[robertpaulsen]

"Sophistry befitting a third grade squabble over a PB&J."

Words mean things. You're pooh-poohing them because they don't fit with your preconceived notion -- a perfect example of cognitive dissonance.

"The people" does not mean "all persons" or "all individuals". "The people" had a specific meaning to the Founding Fathers who used that phrase in the U.S. Constitution.

Try this. In 1789, Albert Gallatin said, "The whole of the Bill [of Rights] is a declaration of the right of the people at large or considered as individuals..."

Whoa! Either-or. So the Bill of Rights contains rights held by the people at large or by people as individuals.

The "people at large" was also written as "the whole people" or simply "the people". If the Founding Fathers wanted to refer to all individuals, they would use "persons".

[TigersEye]

Try this. In 1789, Albert Gallatin said, "The whole of the Bill [of Rights] is a declaration of the right of the people at large or considered as individuals..."

Whoa! Either-or. So the Bill of Rights contains rights held by the people at large or by people as individuals.

He's saying that the BoRs applies equally to people at large or to individuals. You put the "either" in there not Gallatin. That shoots your entire argument all to hell. Not rocket science.