The 2nd Amendment
One of the basic rights of a free person stated in the 2nd Amendment is as follows: “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.” But for years, Americans have disagreed over how to translate the Second Amendment.

Control Guns in America Respect the Right to Bear Arms The first part of the 2nd amendment states: “A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state...” The Framers of the Constitution evidently intended to guarantee each State the right to maintain armed militia, a right that the British had tried to deny the American colonies. The Framers of the Constitution and the Supreme Court had meant for the 2nd Amendment to protect the state militias from being disarmed by a diplomatic central government.In support of the Framers, the Supreme Court upheld an act of Congress that requires the owners of certain weapons to register them with the government and pay a $200 license fee. The Framers could not have foreseen the weapons available today. For public safety, gun ownership may be limited according to the wishes of the people by their elected representatives. The 2nd Amendment plainly spells out an individual's right to own guns in the amendment's main clause which states: “[T]he right of the people shall not be infringed.” The 2nd Amendment is purposed to protect individuals from being disarmed today as the colonists were in the 1770s. The right to bear arms has roots in English law. The English Bill of Rights allowed Protestants to own arms for defense. Early colonial laws required civilians to own guns. Leaders of the Revolution encouraged gun ownership as a protection against despotic government. “Unfortunately, nothing will preserve [the public liberty] but downright force,” said Patrick Henry. Constitutional rights must be respected by legislators and the courts. Gun ownership, like freedom of religion and the press, is a fundamental right of all law-abiding Americans.

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