Why do Americans interperet the Second Amendment as saying that CIVILIANS have to right to keep and bear arms?

Question

I'm not American but you don't need to be to understand the United States Constitution. It does not say that the general population have a right to keep and bear arms but for a militia.

What good is having guns if you're not allowed to shoot and kill corrupt government officials?

Answer 1

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 "people" IS the general population. You know as in "We The People"

Answer 2

The Second Amendment, as passed by the House and Senate and later ratified by the States, 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 hand-written copy of the Bill of Rights which hangs in the National Archives had slightly different capitalization and punctuation inserted by William Lambert, the scribe who prepared it. This copy 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. ”

Both versions are commonly used in official government publications.


Because the US Supreme court has rule for the "civilians" It says "the right of the people" not the militia but the people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

Also check out the "Dred Scott decision" covered in the link for clarification.

Answer 3

There is a comma there for a reason. If it did not mean for the whole of the people to keep arms why did the guys that wrote the phucking thing say this about it? “The Strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government” –Thomas Jefferson "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." - Thomas Jefferson "ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. . . . To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them." - George Mason Source: 1788, During Virginia’s ratification convention for the U.S. Constitution "To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of people always possess arms..." —Richard Henry Lee, Member of the First U.S. Senate. "The constitutions of most of our States assert that all power is inherent in the people; that... it is their right and duty to be at all times armed." --Thomas Jefferson "None but an armed nation can dispense with a standing army. To keep ours armed and disciplined is therefore at all times important." --Thomas Jefferson

Answer 4

A militia is a citizen army, not a regular army. The citizenry has a right to be armed to resist tyranny.

I am going to refrain from calling you an idiot only because you are not a US citizen and you don't know any better. I hope you have been educated by this brief answer.

Answer 5

because for decades early on in the nation's history all adult males were in the militia. So the "well regulated militia" became synonymous with "adults." This has become the basis for the courts, including the Supreme Court, interpreting the Amendment that way.

Answer 6

the 2nd amendment is designed to protect the general population from the government so it does in fact give the general population of legal citizen the right to keep and bear arms.

Answer 7

I'm all for people owning guns, but all this bussiness about it being in the constitution to protect the US from the government is mostly rightwing militia crackpot garbage. The original intent was to have a military set up like the Swiss, but we went the standard uniform military option and ditched that idea somewhere along the road. Go ahead and own guns, just don't take it too far with AKs and M16s.

Answer 8

Actually yes, it specifically meant for the citizens to keep and bear arms. Our founding fathers knew that when a government loses fear of its people tyrany sets in and they always wanted the government to fear the people. Learn our history and you might understand the constitution better.

Answer 9

The right to keep arms is valid if within the parameters of the laws and not used for violence/crimes.

Answer 10

Our Supreme Court says it does and that is what counts.Do you know what would happen in America if our government tryed to remove our weapons?