Brief Analysis And Word Study Of The 2nd Amendment
The 2nd amendment is no doubt a "hot topic" in the media - both for and against. The "meaning" of the 2nd amendment has been interpreted a number of ways. Some will say it's a "collective right" and others will say it's an "individual right". What is the proper understanding and meaning of the 2nd amendment? Does it only apply to a "militia"?
Today we will give a brief analysis of the 2nd amendment by dissecting key words within the 2nd amendment text. Finally, with a proper understanding of what these key words mean, we will have the correct understanding of what the 2nd amendment is all about.
2nd amendment quoted:
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.
Today, I will be using a simple dictionary to extract the meanings of the words that are important to gain an understanding of what the 2nd amendment really means. We will be studying the following words: militia, necessary, security, people, keep, bear, arms and infringed.
Militia: a military force of trained civilians enlisted for use in emergency only
Necessary: Absolutely essential
Needed to achieve a certain result or effect
Security: Freedom from risk or danger
Something that gives or assures safety
People:
Humans considered as a group or in indefinite numbers
A body of persons living in the same country under one national government
Keep: To retain possession of
To have as a supply
To maintain for use or service
Bear: To hold up; support
To carry from one place to another; transport
Arms: weapons collectively
military exploits
take up arms to prepare to fight
under arms armed and prepared for war
Infringed: To transgress or exceed the limits of; violate
Obsolete To defeat; invalidate
Having read the key words above and their meanings, is it becoming clear what the second amendment is really saying? Is there any doubt it's an INDIVIDUAL right to bear arms?
Some additional thoughts and comments...
Some agree that Americans have a right to keep & bear arms, but maintain that it is a "collective" right, not an individual right... how can ALL of us have a right, but no ONE of us has that right?
The first 10 amendments to the constitution are known as the Bill of Rights... those 10 amendments were inserted into the constitution specifically to limit the power of government over "the people"... all of those amendments (if you read them) say the same thing... "this is what government cannot do to you".
Some say the 2nd amendment gives the Army the right to bear arms. Earlier in the body of the constitution the Congress is empowered to "declare war"... and to "raise and support armies". The definition of an army is a force which is armed... it would make no sense to state later in the Constitution that the army can be armed.
The 2nd amendment says "the people" have a right to keep and bear arms. Nowhere in the founding documents can it be shown that the phrase "the people" means anything other than the regular everyday citizen... not a "group" or special class of people, but ALL the people... that means you and me, and your next door neighbor.
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