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.

@room101 there is a reason that the pro gun people only quote the last part.

@DailyFlash Indeed. Thank you for BA

@room101 military and NG answer to the government (a government that is corruptible), armed citizens aren't.

the military is only used for national defense against a foreign power (Posse Comitatus Act), and therefore illegal to be used domestically.

armed citizens have no such limitations.

As long as there are governments, and as long as greed, envy, pride, etc. exist, there will always be a need for the militia

@room101 The meaning is not quite clear to anyone reading it. In fact, until 2008, it wasn't clear even to the Supreme Court. It is a historically troubling phrase and anybody who thinks by reading it they understand what it means is underestimating their power of reading.

@room101 At the time the declaration of independence was even considered, the British had a far bigger and better militia than did the rebellious colonies, so by your argument the US should not even exist :)

@room101 You aren’t American are you? Another non-American preaching to us about our laws regarding guns. We had to have guns to rid the British from controlling this country.

@room101 One would conclude this only if they had reading comprehension that was average at best.

The Founding Fathers were smarter than you.

@cherokeepatti He's from Spain... we gave them a pretty good thrashing in the Spanish-American war as well... 😅

@HoraceGreenley The founding fathers barely knew fire and corn...they weren't all that smart.

@room101 Exacly!

@Graylight The dummy who wrote the Second Amendment language was an idiot. All State constitutions that address the right to bear arms (a couple don't) have very clear language that even an imbecile can understand.

Some examples:

1. "Text of Section 6:
Right to Bear Arms
No law shall abridge the right of the citizen to keep and bear arms for security and defense, for lawful hunting and recreational use and for other lawful purposes, but nothing herein shall be held to permit the carrying of concealed weapons. No municipality or county shall regulate, in any way, an incident of the right to keep and bear arms."
New Mexico

2. "Text of Section 26:
Bearing Arms - Carrying Weapons
The right of a citizen to keep and bear arms in defense of his home, person, or property, or in aid of the civil power, when thereunto legally summoned, shall never be prohibited; but nothing herein contained shall prevent the Legislature from regulating the carrying of weapons."
Oklahoma

3. "Text of Section 23:
Right to Keep and Bear Arms
Every citizen shall have the right to keep and bear arms in the lawful defense of himself or the State; but the Legislature shall have power, by law, to regulate the wearing of arms, with a view to prevent crime."
Texas

4. "Text of Section 21:
Right to Bear Arms
The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State shall not be questioned."
Pennsylvania

5. "Text of Section 11:
Right to Keep and Bear Arms
The right of each citizen to keep and bear arms is fundamental and shall not be infringed. Any restriction on this right shall be subject to strict scrutiny"
Louisiana

6. "Text of Section 20:
Right to Keep and Bear Arms
A person has the right to keep and bear arms for the defense of self, family, home and State, and for hunting and recreational use." (4-16-87)
Delaware

7. Text of Section 22:
Right to Arms
"Subject only to the police power, the right of the individual citizen to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."
Illinois

8. "Text of Section 23:
Right to Keep and Bear Arms--Exception
That the right of every citizen to keep and bear arms, ammunition, and accessories typical to the normal function of such arms, in defense of his home, person, family and property, or when lawfully summoned in aid of the civil power, shall not be questioned. The rights guaranteed by this section shall be unalienable. Any restriction on these rights shall be subject to strict scrutiny and the state of Missouri shall be obligated to uphold these rights and shall under no circumstances decline to protect against their infringement. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the general assembly from enacting general laws which limit the rights of convicted violent felons or those duly adjudged mentally infirm by a court of competent jurisdiction."
Missouri

9. "Text of Section 6:
Right to Bear Arms
The individual right of the people to keep and bear arms for security and defense of self, family, others, property, or the state, as well as for other lawful purposes shall not be infringed; but nothing herein shall prevent the Legislature from defining the lawful use of arms."
Utah

10. "Text of Section 8:
Right to Bear Arms
(a) The right of the people to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves and of the lawful authority of the state shall not be infringed, except that the manner of bearing arms may be regulated by law.

(b) There shall be a mandatory period of three days, excluding weekends and legal holidays, between the purchase and delivery at retail of any handgun. For the purposes of this section, "purchase" means the transfer of money or other valuable consideration to the retailer, and "handgun" means a firearm capable of being carried and used by one hand, such as a pistol or revolver. Holders of a concealed weapon permit as prescribed in Florida law shall not be subject to the provisions of this paragraph.

(c) The legislature shall enact legislation implementing subsection (b) of this section, effective no later than December 31, 1991, which shall provide that anyone violating the provisions of subsection (b) shall be guilty of a felony.

(d) This restriction shall not apply to a trade in of another handgun. "
Florida

11. "Text of Article 2-a:
The Bearing of Arms
All persons have the right to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves, their families, their property and the state."
New Hampshire

So, it goes from the simple to the complex but even an imbecile can understand everyone of them. And since almost all gun crimes are State crimes and not federal crimes, the State constitutions prevail.

If interested you can find your State at this link = https://ballotpedia.org/State_constitution

@independentone Clearly you know nothing about them. Don't let the funny clothes fool you.

@Diotrephes You should learn how to read. It's handy

@Heartlander As usual, your leap of "logic" is something to behold🤦‍♂️

@wildbill83 First of all, your armed individuals do not in any way constitute a militia, never mind a well regulated one. Second, every other country in the developed world clearly manages exceptionally well without either militias or arming their general public.

@Graylight Ah yes, SCOTUS, that institution which constantly shows the world that it's about as credible as a $9.00 bill. Christ, there are junior barristers in the UK with more court experience than at least four of your current SCOTUS members🤦‍♂️

@cherokeepatti Heads up genius, that was 250 years ago. If your current military can't protect you against invasion then why the hell is it the biggest military in the world?

As to me not being American, damn right I'm not. I can vote without hindrance and my vote actually means something. I can have health care without going bankrupt. The women in my society can decide for themselves about pregnancy. Teachers in my society can teach kids what they need to learn in the 21st century. And, what is more to the point, I can go about my daily life without the threat of being shot.

Maybe time for you to actually look at what us non-Americans do and how we LIVE our lives.

@HoraceGreenley The Founding Fathers are not the issue. They may have been right 250 years ago. But, THAT WAS 250 YEARS AGO.

Try living in the present and viewing your world in present terms. You'll be quite astonished at the progress made.

@wildbill83 Not from Spain dipshit. And who's this "we" that you're referring to? When was the last time that the USA won a war without the help of allies? When was the last time that the USA won a war period?

You even gave up a huge swath of land in your newly emerging republic to the French for their help in defeating the Brits.

Also, try sticking to the topic being discussed🤦‍♂️

@Diotrephes Good to know today's average HS-level citizen can assume the critical thought and forward thinking of the men who wrote these documents. It's worked out swimmingly.

We've now got government officials perpetuating baseless, cruel rumors about dead people. Cut out the middle man, I say. Need the Constitution interpreted, stop by your local WaWa.

@Graylight The only amendment everyone has followed consistently has been the Third Amendment. Politicians, bureaucrats, and Slave Patrollers violate all of the others every minute of the day.

@room101 You are wrong. In America the people have all of the rights unless they give them to the politicians.

@room101

So you're just a liar then? vis-à-vis you have no credibility

I love it when assclowns from foreign countries insert themselves into debates about American/domestic rights (most of which have never even been to the US) and think they're some kind of authority on the subject...

Brits especially, given the amount tyranny they've inflicted all over the world in their history... hardly a beacon of virtue...

@wildbill83 Makes me wonder what they are hoping to get out of it if the USA were to ban private ownership of guns.