Posted on 02/24/2018 3:05:57 PM PST by Blood of Tyrants
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
What does it mean? Well let's go through it.
militia - Regardless of what anyone says, the National Guard is NOT "the militia". In fact the National Guard was not created until 1916, over 125 year after the Constitution was ratified. The Constitution specifically gives Congress the power to call up the militia for various purposes. Merriam Webster defines it as: a : a part of the organized armed forces of a country liable to call only in emergency
The militia was called to quell the riot.
b : a body of citizens organized for military service 2 : the whole body of able-bodied male citizens declared by law as being subject to call to military service
The Militia Act of 1792 defines it as: each and every free able-bodied white male citizen of the respective States, resident therein, who is or shall be of age of eighteen years, and under the age of forty-five years (except as is herein after excepted) shall severally and respectively be enrolled in the militia, by the Captain or Commanding Officer of the company, within whose bounds such citizen shall reside....
It was revised and replace in 1903 which expanded the definition by leaving out the "white male" requirement and dividing the militia into two groups, the organized militia comprised of the National Guard and the naval Militia, and the unorganized militia, which means virtually everyone else.
being necessary to the security of a free State - Not the individual states, but the country as a whole DEPENDS on the armed population to defend it against tyranny and oppression. Note: it says nothing about hunting or shooting clays.
the right - A right is RECOGNIZED by the Constitution as being granted by God. It is not subject to vote by the majority and even if the 2nd Amendment were repealed, THE RIGHT WOULD STILL EXIST!
of the people - Every time "the people" is mentioned in the Constitution, it means "the individual". The writers of the Constitution weren't just being sloppy and accidentally used "the people" when they really meant "the state".
to keep - To possess firearms that are suitable for service in the militia. In US vs, Miller 1939, the Supreme Court ruled that arms suitable for use in the militia were specifically protected by the 2nd Amendment and that Miller's sawed off single shot shotgun was unsuitable for militia duty. In 1939 they didn't have the AR15, but machine guns and semi automatic firearms had been around for over 40 years. This right included ammunition as the militia was expected to show up with ammunition for their firearm.
and bear Arms - To carry in public without fear of harassment.
shall not be infringed - The encroachment, breach, or violation of a right, law, regulation, or contract. Does telling people they have to jump through hoops and ask permission from the government and restrict when and where and what type of gun you can have encroach on the 2nd Amendment? If you think it doesn't, how ridiculous would you sound if you claimed that EVERY publicly posted memo or sentence or news story had to be approved by a government official?
Finally, if you think that the AR-15 isn't covered by the 2nd Amendment, close your computer, get out a quill and ink and write me a letter explaining your position. Then give the letter to a man on a horse and have him deliver it to me. THEN we'll have a nice discussion about why you are wrong.
The founders thought it was very important to protect the shooting sports such as skeet, trap. Also they wanted to protect the right to hunt.
The bowling and fishing and ice skating amendments were narrowly defeated. So today the only sports amendment left to us is the second.
Good post! I read the 2nd Amendment Primer, it basically gives the history of Constitutional guarantee of the right to keep and bear arms!!
There was a time in our history when a citizen
could own a cannon. Now if he shot it at his neighbor
or the blast from it broke his neighbor’s window then
he was subject to civil recourse in the judicial system.
From his neighbor or if he killed his neighbor then
the local authorities, his peers.
I can tell anyone how it was meant from history. Davy Crockett, in his memoirs, tells how he and the men of his county had decided to answer the call to help out Jackson in the Indian wars.
They took their muskets and joined General Jackson’s army for a three month stint. Jackson supplied the powder and shot.
The first part of the amendment is an introductory dependent clause, explaining the main clause, which states that the right to bear arms shall not be infringed, and in the case of the men of that time, their arms were the same as the regular army issue.
“A right is RECOGNIZED by the Constitution as being granted by God. “
Kindly quote the part of the Constitution that recognizes “a right” as being granted by God.
The term “arms” is not limited to firearms. It also applies to swords, bows, arrows and other implements of war. In Europe, the right to bear arms was often limited to the nobility; peasants and serfs were excluded. This was not what the citizens of the American colonies wanted. The right to bear arms was applicable to all male citizens.
Samuel Johnson’s dictionaries of the latter 1700’s and Noah Webster’s dictionary of 1828 pertinently define a right as a just claim. (”Just claim” could probably use further definition but I’m not going to do that now.) Webster goes on to write “Rights are natural, civil, political, religious, personal, and public.”
I cite these dictionaries as they are from the time of the Founders and I believe they most likely convey the understanding of the Founders.
What does the Second Amendment mean? It codifies American’s God given right to protect themselves from anything and everything but especially from unjust government. It is directly related to fundamental freedom for without the consent of the governed despots are not likely to voluntarily cede power necessitating forceful removal.
Curling, man; you forgot curling!
Well regulated also meant well equipped.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are (1) endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That (2) to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, (3) deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
Simply stated, the first part recognizes the need for and desirability of a citizen militia; the second part recognizes the God-given right to self defense and forbids infringing upon it. This apparently is beyond progressive/ liberal understanding.
“He prefers David.”
Take the time to view my previous post
See post 15
Madison wrote, in the Federalist Papers (federalist 46 iirc) that basically the militia is everyone, that if we are attacked we can only field about 25-30,000 professional soldier, but there were over 300,000 gun owners that could be the militia if they needed to.
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