Amendment’s meaning changes

The phrase “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed” does not mean what most people have come to believe.

The intent of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was twofold: first to recognize the legislature’s historic authority over their militia; and second, to block or prevent the federal government from using the militia companies raised by legislatures to augment the national army as the U.S. Congress saw fit. The issue was who was going to have control over the use of the local militia, the legislatures, the federal government, or both.

Between the 1620s and 1775, the New England legislatures (general courts) exercised sole authority for developing, organizing and regulating (training) their militia. It was the New England legislatures that armed the militia. From 1792, the militia operated under laws by volunteer units. Who had clear authority over the volunteer units wasn’t resolved until 1903, when Congress provided funds for training to bring the units up to the level of the national army, thereby making the units a dual state and federal organization.

David Colvin

Spokane Valley