The Second Amendment: What it Says and What it Means

[Hush]

The Second Amendment: What it Says and What it Means

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2012/1 ... -it-means/

[docwalker]

I am not saying they are wrong but I find it odd that rarely does anyone go back and look at the first and other drafts of the bill of rights. It is an eye opener.

George Masons first draft spells out that the

" 17. That the People have a Right to keep and to bear Arms; that a well regulated Militia, composed of the Body of the People, trained to arms, is the proper, natural, and safe Defence of a free State; that Standing Armies in Time of Peace are dangerous to Liberty, and therefore ought to be avoided as far as the Circumstances and Protection of the Community will admit; and that in all Cases, the military should be under strict Subordination to, and governed by the Civil Power."

That seems pretty clear to me of the original intent.

[continuity]

My SSNcN finds it interesting that the word "the" can be parsed to such lengths in certain... matters. Let alone the parsing that ignores the common sense intent of the 2nd, if for no other reason, it's subject matter inclusion within the Bill of Rights.

Nice exercise though.

[MV10]

That seems pretty clear to me of the original intent.

Or at least George Mason's original intent.

The first draft of anything is often wildly different from the end product. It's kind of the point of drafts and revisions. It would be very dangerous to interpret the final result in terms of the original "throw it on the wall and see what sticks" version.