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 above is the Second Amendment in its entirety.
I've done a little research, nothing academic mind you, and am perplexed by the statement "the SA has always been about the individual's right to own guns."
First off this whole statement is focused on "a militia of the people that should not be infringed." A militia mind you that is WELL REGULATED.
Second, if my basic understanding of the American language has not escaped me, this amendment is in the plural. If the original intent was about the individual, wouldn't the founding fathers used different language. Remember these guys were pretty deliberate in their writings.
Third, I just cannot find any documentation before the 1970's to support the idea of the individual having the right to own guns. Remember, and thanks to the Young Turks for reminding us, the NRA at the national level was about regulating and training people about guns before it changed course in the seventies to support manufacturers and not individuals.
Fourth, our constitution begins with these words:
We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
What kind of justice and tranquility is the NRA and gun manufacturers promoting? None. Retribution and chaos is their only desire.
- Tor Kristian Berg c 2013
