Know Your Second Amendment

Given the recent horrific events in Thousand Oaks and Squirrel Hill, it's incumbent upon each of us to understand the Second Amendment.

To do that as fully and cl;early as possible, read The Second Amendment - a Biography , by  Michael Waldman.  For a more concise explanation, consider the points below, that reflect the history behind, and language used in, America in the late 18th Century.

One catalyst for the Revolutionary War was the attempt by George III to deny colonists the right to own or use firearms.  At that time, such weapons were allowed only if they were put to the service of the British military.  That's the history; now the language.

Note the phrasing, sentence structure, and punctuation of the Amendment.  Those components work together, but not to say or imply Go ahead and get the biggest, loudest, deadliest weapon you can find; then get more.  Rather, the right to keep and bear arms is corollary to and contingent upon the need for a well-regulated militia.

We're more than 230 years past the adoption of the U. S. Constitution.  In those two-plus centuries, we've developed more than one form of a well-regulated militia - the National Guard, various Reserves, and so on.  That being the case, we don't need high-capacity magazines,  bump-stocks or AR-15s.

The midterm election just concluded demonstrates that people have a voice for change.  That being the case, find out how your Representative, either returning or newly-elected, feels about gun control.  Here's one place to start your research.