‘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.’

Too many people misconstrue the meaning of the second amendment. It doesn’t protect the right of everyone to keep and bear arms. It preserves the right of a well regulated militia to keep and bear arms.

We already have a well regulated militia. It’s the National Guard. It’s the oldest defense force in the nation, formed in 1636 as three militia regiments in the Massachusetts Bay Colony armed to defend against the Pequot Indians.

A well regulated militia. Not Uncle Dave and his bozo Trump supporters with a fetish for beer and handguns. Not some Texan know-all with a big hat and an even bigger arsenal of firearms in his garage. Not some kid with a chip on one shoulder and an AR-15 assault weapon on the other. Not Gordon Liddy fanboys storming the Capitol.

A well regulated militia. Not guns sold over the counter to teenagers without universal background checks. Not guns sold to anyone without licensing and insurance. Not guns being openly carried.

Interpreting the second amendment to serve the political interests of Republicans breaks our democracy by stacking the courts with judges that serve their interests against the will of the vast majority. They serve at the will of private interest when their job - their one and only job - is to serve the public interest.

These judges are the reason there were 232 mass shootings with scores of murdered citizens in America in the first five months of this year.

These judges have sentenced the American people to death.

References

“Mass shootings” Gun Violence Archive (2022)

“The 3 gun-control laws that work best in the US” Bloomberg (2019)

“Second amendment does not guarantee the right to own a gun” US Department of Justice (1992)

“Warren Burger: 2nd Amendment Fraud” PBS News Hour (1991)