Second Amendment Essay
One of the most highly debated amendments of the United States Constitution is the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment has been disputed for hundreds of years on exactly of its exact true meaning. The United States Constitution wrote the Second Amendment as “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."
The argument that has lasted for centuries begins with the first part “A well regulated militia”. Over the years, many of the nation’s supreme courts have ruled in a lot of different ways. The definition of a well regulated militia means to provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions.
The United States code described that militias are always subject to federal, state or local government control. It also described a “private” militia or army not under government control could be considered illegal and in rebellion, and as a result is subject to harsh punishment.
Many have argued that since the militias are "owned," or under the command of the states, that the states are free to disarm their militia if they so choose, and therefore of course no individual right to keep arms exists. The militia is not "owned," rather it is controlled and organized by the government. The federal governments as well as the states have no legitimate power to disarm the people from which militias are organized.
At the time it was ratified in 1791, the Second Amendment was intended to have at least two security purposes other than a well regulated militia. The first purpose which was a position taken by Thomas Jefferson was the “a practical purpose”. The practical purpose was to protect people from thieves, bandits, Native Americans and slave uprisings. The second purpose was a position that was taken by Alexander Hamilton and James Madison which was known as the “political purpose”. The political purpose was
The argument that has lasted for centuries begins with the first part “A well regulated militia”. Over the years, many of the nation’s supreme courts have ruled in a lot of different ways. The definition of a well regulated militia means to provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions.
The United States code described that militias are always subject to federal, state or local government control. It also described a “private” militia or army not under government control could be considered illegal and in rebellion, and as a result is subject to harsh punishment.
Many have argued that since the militias are "owned," or under the command of the states, that the states are free to disarm their militia if they so choose, and therefore of course no individual right to keep arms exists. The militia is not "owned," rather it is controlled and organized by the government. The federal governments as well as the states have no legitimate power to disarm the people from which militias are organized.
At the time it was ratified in 1791, the Second Amendment was intended to have at least two security purposes other than a well regulated militia. The first purpose which was a position taken by Thomas Jefferson was the “a practical purpose”. The practical purpose was to protect people from thieves, bandits, Native Americans and slave uprisings. The second purpose was a position that was taken by Alexander Hamilton and James Madison which was known as the “political purpose”. The political purpose was