What Does The Second Amendment Mean?

There has been an ongoing debate for ages about the right to keep and bear arms. The Second Amendment to the Constitution says that we have the right to keep and bear arms but the problem is in the way it is worded. Specifically, it reads:

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.

The first part of the Amendment has given all the gun grabbing organizations free reign to try to take our weapons away. They maintain that only the militia is allowed to have guns. I was reminded of this when I recently read a particularly nasty item a liberal had written. I can not remember where I read it but basically it said that we gun nut conservatives push our right to keep and bear arms down the left’s throats without reading the first part of the Amendment. So let us dissect this and see what we come up with.

These are two separate and distinct clauses. The first tells us that a well regulated militia is needed for the security of the free State and the second tells us that in order to get that militia (raise it in a time of emergency) the people’s right (which by itself indicates the right existed prior to the Amendment and it is being reaffirmed) shall not be infringed. The Amendment clearly states the right of the PEOPLE. It does not say the right of the militia. As for the militia, we did not have a standing army then. When we needed forces we stood up the militia so it only makes sense they would allow the people, from whom the militia would come, to keep arms.

Much has been made about this and many tell us that it was not the intent of the founders for everyone to be allowed to carry arms. This idea, the founder’s intentions, has been the focal point of the debate for years. Since the founders can not be here to tell us what they intended perhaps it would be best if we just look at what they wrote about it.

  • “Whereas civil-rulers, not having their duty to the people duly before them, may attempt to tyrannize, and as military forces, which must be occasionally raised to defend our country, might pervert their power to the injury of their fellow citizens, the people are confirmed by the article in their right to keep and bear their private arms.”
    — Tench Coxe, in Remarks on the First Part of the Amendments to the Federal Constitution
  • “The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed.”
    — Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist Papers at 184-188
  • “That the said Constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press or the rights of conscience; or to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms … ”
    — Samuel Adams, Debates and Proceedings in the Convention of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, at 86-87 (Pierce & Hale, eds., Boston, 1850)
  • No Free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.”
    — Thomas Jefferson, Proposal Virginia Constitution, 1 T. Jefferson Papers, 334,[C.J. Boyd, Ed., 1950]
  • ” … to disarm the people – that was the best and most effectual way to enslave them.”
    — George Mason, 3 Elliot, Debates at 380
  • “The great object is, that every man be armed … Every one who is able may have a gun.”
    — Patrick Henry, Elliot, p.3:386
  • “The people are not to be disarmed of their weapons. They are left in full possession of them.”
    — Zacharia Johnson, delegate to Virginia Ratifying Convention, Elliot, 3:645-6

All quotes came from the Web Site of Dr. Walter E. Williams and include their attributes. There are many more there and I recommend you read them. [The emphasis was added by me]

Those quotes have a common theme and theme is the people. The people and the citizens are mentioned quite a bit but none of them say that the idea is for the militia to have the weapons. The other quotes at Dr. Williams’ site mention the militia and they explain what the militia is and how they fit in. The most important thing to take from this is that the words of the fellows who wrote the Amendment indicate that every person, that is, every citizen, is allowed to keep and bear arms.

It is important to remember this. In order to take over a people, they must first be disarmed as Hitler did with the Jews. He took their weapons (identified through registration records) and then when they no longer had the means to resist, he killed them. The ACLU and other groups are bent on taking away our rights. The attack on religion has been waged heavily and will continue, though there is now more resistance from religious groups. The only real way for the ACLU to make this country communist is for them to take the guns. Keep that in mind.

Praise the Lord and pass the ammo.

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One Response to “What Does The Second Amendment Mean?”

  1. Wild Thing says:

    GREAT post thank you!!!