What does the Second Amendment Actually Mean?

V. Hajek

The Constitution has served as the basis of our government since 1787, and it was created by America’s founding fathers to lay out the system to run the newly independent nation. The Bill of Rights includes ten amendments and was created after the Constitution to ensure liberty (freedom within a society) for all citizens. The second amendment states that a militia is necessary for the security of the nation, and citizens have the right to own arms to be prepared to form a militia. People use the second amendment to defend the right of American citizens to own any type of weapon or amunition, but only the ending phrase of the amendment is used as evidence, while the rest is ignored. The meaning of the second amendment does not support the idea that Americans have the right to own any weapon of their choosing. Thus, the second amendment can no longer be used as justification for all gun ownership.

The second amendment must be analyzed very closely to discover the correct message because the grammar of the sentence can be confusing. This phrase, “being necessary to the security of a Free State” explains why a militia might be formed and the following phrase “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms” is also in reference to the militia, as it explains what having a militia would entail. The final phrase “shall not be infringed” is the action that applies to the militia, while the other phrases serve as descriptors. The second amendment is often used by gun advocates to defend their right to own any type of firearm or ammunition. People use the statement, “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed,” as evidence for being able to buy any sort of gun they want, such as semiautomatic and fully automatic weapons as well as armor-piercing bullets. However, the commas cannot be ignored in determining the meaning of the second amendment. The two phrases, “being necessary to the security of a free State” and “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms” are defining terms of “a well regulated militia” and cannot stand on their own for individuals to interpret loosely.

To gain stricter gun regulations, the second amendment must be interpreted correctly in the same way by the entire American population. If people continue to pick out part of the amendment and ignore the commas, the meaning of the amendment will remain muddled, Commas were used deliberately to clarify the right to form well regulated militia. The second amendment should not be as justification to buy any type of gun or ammunition for personal use.

*billofrightsinstitute.org