The Second Amendment was not about a militia- it was always about arming ordinary citizens so that we can defend ourselves against any enemy either foreign or domestic- Every citizen has the right to be armed well enough to defend themselves against heavily armed enemies as will be evident by the following words of wisdom from our founding fathers as they envisioned bigger better, more powerful guns and wanted our citizens to be able to keep pace and match the firepower bullet for bullet if necessary to defend ourselves-:
"What country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned
from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance.
Let them take arms."
- Thomas Jefferson, letter to James Madison, December 20, 1787
"A-strong
body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise
the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives
boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the
ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp
no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be your constant
companion of your walks." - Thomas Jefferson, letter to Peter Carr,
August 19, 1785
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."
- Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776
"On
every occasion [of Constitutional interpretation] let us carry
ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect
the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying [to force]
what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it,
[instead let us] conform to the probable one in which it was passed."
- Thomas Jefferson, letter to William Johnson, 12 June 1823
"The Constitution of most of our states (and of
the United States) assert that all power is inherent in the people; that
they may exercise it by themselves; that it is their right and duty to
be at all times armed."
- Thomas Jefferson, letter to to John Cartwright, 5 June 1824
“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
- Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759
"I enclose you a list of the killed, wounded, and captives of the enemy
from the commencement of hostilities at Lexington in April, 1775, until
November, 1777, since which there has been no event of any consequence
... I think that upon the whole it has been about one half the number
lost by them, in some instances more, but in others less. This
difference is ascribed to our superiority in taking aim when we fire;
every soldier in our army having been intimate with his gun from his
infancy."
- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Giovanni Fabbroni, June 8, 1778
"I ask who are the militia? They consist now of the whole people, except a few public officers."
- George Mason, Address to the Virginia Ratifying Convention, June 4, 1788
"To disarm the people...s the most effectual way to enslave them."
-George Mason, referencing advice given to the British Parliament by
Pennsylvania governor Sir William Keith, The Debates in the Several
State Conventions on the Adooption of the Federal Constitution, June 14, 1788
"Besides
the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the
people of almost every other nation, the existence of subordinate
governments, to which the people are attached, and by which the militia officers are
appointed, forms a barrier against the enterprises of
ambition, more insurmountable than any which a simple government of any form can admit of."
- James Madison, Federalist No. 46, January 29, 1788
"Before
a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed, as they are in
almost every country in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot
enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of the people
are armed, and constitute a force superior to any band of regular
troops."
- Noah Webster, An Examination of the Leading Principles of the Federal Constitution, October 10, 1787
"The
right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. A
well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to
arms, is the best and most natural defense of a free country."
- James Madison, I Annals of Congress 434, June 8, 1789
"...the ultimate authority, wherever the derivative may be found, resides in the people alone..."
- James Madison, Federalist No. 46, January 29, 1788
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
- William Pitt (the Younger), Speech in the House of Commons, November 18, 1783
