Thread: What were the founders intending with the second amendment?

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.

I'll admit I have some interpretation conflicts when trying to reconcile "well regulated militia" with "shall not be infringed". I'm not trying to MAKE the 2nd amendment say what I think it should mean, but what did the founders intend. We know the colonies had just fought the war of independence, which had to be fresh on their minds.

What do you think they where thinking?

They intended to let people own weapons of mass destruction such as battleships.

See: Barbary War and letters of marque

They intended for the nation not to have a standing army, but for everyone (or at least the men) to be prepared to form an army (that militia they were talking about) and bring their own guns, which they were supposed to already know how to use.

Originally Posted by Paschendale

They intended for the nation not to have a standing army, but for everyone (or at least the men) to be prepared to form an army (that militia they were talking about) and bring their own guns, which they were supposed to already know how to use.

Do you think everyone is prepared to form an army, bring their own guns, and already know how to use them today?

Originally Posted by Smeagol

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.

I'll admit I have some interpretation conflicts when trying to reconcile "well regulated militia" with "shall not be infringed". I'm not trying to MAKE the 2nd amendment say what I think it should mean, but what did the founders intend. We know the colonies had just fought the war of independence, which had to be fresh on their minds.

What do you think they where thinking?

Have patience my friend. You will soon be told that the phrase " a well regulated militia" is not at all what you think it is and has a different meaning altogether.

the federalist papers cover this subject quite well,as they do with the rest of the bor.

Originally Posted by beerftw

the federalist papers cover this subject quite well,as they do with the rest of the bor.

And what if we want to know what the other 52 Founders felt about the subject?

Originally Posted by haymarket

And what if we want to know what the other 52 Founders felt about the subject?

Grab a Ouija and have a night

Originally Posted by Smeagol

What do you think they where thinking?

Giving the right to bear arms for the purpose of civil defense. On top of that, firearms were necessary for survival. There was still the problem of attacks by the Natives, and there was no Kroger's back then. anything you ate you either had to grow, or kill. The entire Bill of Rights was amended to the Constitution as a stipulation for ratification, because the representatives of state felt it made the new government too powerful, which it did. It was also necessary.

Originally Posted by haymarket

And what if we want to know what the other 52 Founders felt about the subject?

the other founders didnt write the bill of rights.

however if you would like go look up the rest of the founding fathers quotes,most are consistent with the words of the federalist papers.