SECOND AMMENDMENT

When we think of the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights, (the first ten ammendments of the U.S. Constitution), we must realize that what these documents do is limit the power of government.  So when we study these documents we need to remember that when the First Ammendment says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereor; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.", it means that Congress will make no laws that establish a religion or the free exercise thereof, or laws abridging free speech and press, or laws prohibiting people to peaceably assemble.  How we came from making no laws respecting an establishment of religion , or prohibiting the free exercise therof to separation of church and state is beyond me.  Remember, the U.S. Constitution limits the power of government.

All that to get to the Second Ammendment.
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 this mean?  In light of the fact that the Constitution limits the power of government, it means that lawmakers cannot make laws that prohibit law abiding citizens from keeping and bearing arms.  Why is this simple concept so hard for some people to understand?  I believe the answer to this question is because some people believe that their opinions are more important than the Constitution and they want to confuse others as well as themselves to try to change the meaning of the Ammendment because they know they can't change it in the courts or in Congress.

Following are some things to help you understand exactly what the Founding Fathers meant when they wrote the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Above is the Second Ammendment to the U.S. Constitution in it's entirety.  Lets look at this ammendment line by line and as we consider these things we need to remimber to look beyond our biases and prejudices and search for obvious truths.

"A well regulated Militia"
There has been much discussion over these last several decades as to just what a "well regulated militia" is.  We know that this was not the military of the time as it was never referred to as a militia.  Some have said it is like the military reserve, others say it is like the National Guard and still others say it is large groups of civilians gathering for the purpose of mastering skills to be used in group self protection or protection from a tyrannical government.  Some also contend that a militia is just the simple act of ensuring that the American citizenry is armed.
Josiah Quincy, 1772-1864, was an American politician and educator.  He was educated at Harvard and in 1804 became a Massachusetts State Senator.  In 1805 he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives where he later became the minority leader for the Federalist Party.  He said, "A well regulated militia is composed of the freeholders, citizens and husbandmen, who take up arms to preserve their property as individuals, and their right as freemen."
We must not be hasty in our confusion of the words "well regulated militia" to throw out the Second Ammendment altogether.  The fact that men who wrote the Bill of Rights thought so highly of these ammendments that they would not ratify the Constitution of the United States without them should speak volumes for their importance.

"Being necessary to the security of a free State"
Whatever a militia is, it is necessary to the security of a free state.  A free state would surely need protection from the armies of invading countries but also we need to realize some important facts here.  We need to remember that the people writting this document just went through several very difficult years of war and hardship that they felt was brought on by the tyrannical government of England.  The reason these men drafted the First Ten Ammendments, or Bill of Rights, was to ensure freedom from future tyrannical governments, even if it was their own.  We are able to see this line of thought as we read through all ten ammendments of the Constitution.  They had very strong feelings towards this in light of the misery that they had endured throught the previous decades.
The Founding Fathers wrote, "When the government fears the people, there is liberty.  When the people fear the government, there is tyranny."

"The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed"
This is half of the Second Ammendment.  I believe that these words are so obvious they should be understandable to all.  Not only does this give honest, law abiding citizens the right to keep arms in their homes, but also to bear arms on their person.  I believe that state or local governments denying their law abiding citizens the right to bear arms is unconstitutional.  By this I mean that not only should we be allowed to carry arms but the government does not have the right to issue permits to do so since it is one of our basic constitutional rights already.  I also believe that anybody who claims they can't see this has a hidden agenda that is not hidden at all.

"No free man shall ever be de-barred the use of arms.  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

"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty.  Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel.  Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force.  Whenever you give up that force, you are ruined...  The great object is that every man be armed...  Everyone who is able may have a gun."
                                                                                                                         Patrick Henry

"The said Constitution shall never be construed to authorize congress to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their arms."
                                                                                                                          Sam Adams

"Americans need never fear their government because of the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation."
                                                                                                                    James Madison

"Firearms stand next to importance to the Constitution itself.  They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone under independence.  To secure peace, security and hapiness, the rifle and the pistol are equally indispensable.  The very atmosphere of firearms everywhere retains evil interference - they deserve a place of honor with all that is good."
                                                                                                                George Washington

"Nations which have lapsed from liberty, to a state of slavish subjection, have been brought to this unhappy condition by gradual paces."
                                                                                                              Richard Henry Lee