“Nothing is more natural than securing oneself from harm. Whether that danger be a physical assault or oppression by a stronger force such as the government, owning and knowing how to use a firearm is a sound means of ensuring one’s well-being. The Founders recognized this as a fundamental right and made certain they guaranteed it to posterity.”
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.
The Second Amendment is corollary to one of the most basic natural rights we have, that of self-defense. However, it has recently been the subject of great controversy. Becoming familiar with the history of this doctrine is critical to understanding it.
Today’s gun-control debate in America focuses on two questions. First, does the Second Amendment give citizens the right to keep and bear arms for personal reasons or did it only pertain to the militia? Second, if the right is granted to individuals, can it be restricted or is it unlimited in scope?
By Tom Hand