General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I no longer give two f*cks about your 2nd Amendment rights. [View all]TeddyR
(2,493 posts)There is plenty of historical evidence that the "militia" meant every single able-bodied individual. For example, George Mason stated "Who are the militia? They consist now of the whole people." And the Second Amendment certainly doesn't require service in a formal militia before the right to keep and bear arms is protected, no matter how much you want to twist it out of shape. If that were the case, the Second Amendment simply would read "the right to keep and bear arms is protected for every person who is an active militia member." Even then, it would protect the right of every individual, since according to Mason the militia is "the whole people."
And to your earlier point, the Second Amendment certainly protects an individual right. The right of "the people" to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. Apparently you think "the people" means everyone, in which case the Second Amendment still protects an individual right since everyone's right to keep and bear arms would be protected. Do you think that the Fourth Amendment's reference to the right of "the people" "to be secure in their persons" or the First Amendment's reference to the right of "the people" to peaceably assemble doesn't protect an individual right?