2nd Amendment Explanation

Individuals living in the United States should read a 2nd Amendment explanation, as well as descriptions for all other amendments to the constitution.

The Text

There are a couple of different versions of the Second Amendment. The version that was passed by Congress states, "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" while the version that was ratified by the states reads, "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."

What Does That Mean?

There has never been any debate over what the Second Amendment means in the terms of the military. People have always agreed that this part of the Constitution clearly states that the military has the right to bear arms. However, the differences in punctuation and grammar have lent themselves to controversy over what the Amendment means in terms of individual rights to have guns.

Therefore, while you will often hear people state that the Constitution guarantees them the right to have guns, this idea is not really as simple as they may make it sound. However, in the 2008 Supreme Court case District of Columbia v. Heller, it was decided that the right to bear arms applies to all in legal purposes. For example, self defense would count as a legal purpose. Furthermore, in the 2010 Supreme Court case McDonald v. Chicago, it was ruled that the Second Amendment limits federal, state, and local governments all in the same manner.