If the 2nd Amendment and the Constitution did not spell it out for them that the 2nd means induvidual gun ownership, than this 1982 report by the 97th Congress on the right to keep and bear arms should have done it for sure.
The report, that even had Howard Metzenbaum on the report committee, spelled out clear and simple the meaning of the 2nd amendment.
The report opens by saying that the word "militia" was first used during the Spanish Armada crisis, and was used to designate the entire of the armed citizenry and not the national guard.
Notably, during the debates to the adoption of the Constitution, Baron von Steuben's proposals called for a general duty for all citizens to be armed, but emphasized a "select militia" that would be apid for it's services and given special training, in this respect, this "select militia" was the successor of the "trained bands" and the predecessor of what is today the "national guard"
The report reaches this conclusion: "The conclusion is thus inescapable the the history,concept, and wording of the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, as well as its interpretation by every major commentator and court in the first half century after its ratification, indicates that what is protected is an INDIVIDUAL RIGHT OF A PRIVATE CITIZEN to own and carry firearms in a peaceful manner.
That means not just fat, big mouth talk show hosts, or powerfull politicians like Senator Don Perata or Diane Finestien, who both are anti-gun politicians, but have concealed weapons permits, it means all law-abiding American people.
Thank you for enduring this long post!
------------------
"Who are the militia, if they be not the the people of this country? They consist of now of the whole people, except a few public officers"
George Mason
Second Amendment lover? www.2ndamdlvr.homestead.com/home.html
Support H.R.347 Citizens Self-Defense act of 1999! Sign petition at: www.petitiononline.com/protect/petition.html
The report, that even had Howard Metzenbaum on the report committee, spelled out clear and simple the meaning of the 2nd amendment.
The report opens by saying that the word "militia" was first used during the Spanish Armada crisis, and was used to designate the entire of the armed citizenry and not the national guard.
Notably, during the debates to the adoption of the Constitution, Baron von Steuben's proposals called for a general duty for all citizens to be armed, but emphasized a "select militia" that would be apid for it's services and given special training, in this respect, this "select militia" was the successor of the "trained bands" and the predecessor of what is today the "national guard"
The report reaches this conclusion: "The conclusion is thus inescapable the the history,concept, and wording of the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, as well as its interpretation by every major commentator and court in the first half century after its ratification, indicates that what is protected is an INDIVIDUAL RIGHT OF A PRIVATE CITIZEN to own and carry firearms in a peaceful manner.
That means not just fat, big mouth talk show hosts, or powerfull politicians like Senator Don Perata or Diane Finestien, who both are anti-gun politicians, but have concealed weapons permits, it means all law-abiding American people.
Thank you for enduring this long post!
------------------
"Who are the militia, if they be not the the people of this country? They consist of now of the whole people, except a few public officers"
George Mason
Second Amendment lover? www.2ndamdlvr.homestead.com/home.html
Support H.R.347 Citizens Self-Defense act of 1999! Sign petition at: www.petitiononline.com/protect/petition.html