[misterwhite]

"the Second Amendment is an outright prohibition on all branches of our federal government from infringing on our right to defend ourselves."

The author is partially correct. When written, the Bill of Rights (including the second amendment) was a limitation on the federal government only. It's ludicrous to think the Founding Fathers would impose those restrictions on all the states. After all, the states had their own constitutions.

But the author is wrong when he assumes the second amendment was written for personal protection. If it was, there was no need to mention militias.

[marktwain]

The author is partially correct. When written, the Bill of Rights (including the second amendment) was a limitation on the federal government only. It's ludicrous to think the Founding Fathers would impose those restrictions on all the states. After all, the states had their own constitutions. But the author is wrong when he assumes the second amendment was written for personal protection. If it was, there was no need to mention militias.

The mention of the purpose of a well regulated militia in no way limits the protections of the Second Amendment to militias only.

In the early republic, many people and judges understood the Second Amendment to apply to the States as well as the federal government. The First Amendment states that "Congress shall make no law" the Second Amendment states that the right "shall not be infringed".

[Twotone]

“If it was, there was no need to mention militias.”

Wrong. There was no standing army, & the founders did not want a standing army. The militia was We The People - able-bodied citizenry prepared to be called to duty should the need arise.

Besides, the key phrase is ‘the right of the people’. You might want to do a search on the internet for “The Unabridged Second Amendment” by J. Neil Schulman.

[Las Vegas Ron]

When written, the Bill of Rights (including the second amendment) was a limitation on the federal government only.

I guess you never read the 10th Amendment?

[MileHi]

But the author is wrong when he assumes the second amendment was written for personal protection. If it was, there was no need to mention militias.

I disagree. A militia is merely a group of individuals acting in concert against a common threat.