>That's exactly my point. That was then. This is now. We should not be citing the 2nd Amendment as a justification for guns willy-nilly among the citizenry in the 21st century. If you think there are other good reasons, I am happy to discuss them reasonably. I just think the 2nd Amendment is a bogus argument today. It doesn't apply, IMO.
But it happens to be law. Regardless of whether you agree with it or not, it is the cornerstone of gun rights in America.
Personally I think there are a lot of reasons for gun ownership: self-defense, hunting, sport shooting, or just collecting. Did you happen to read the piece by Finkelman that Tracy linked to? He outlines some of the arguments that the drafters of the Constitution had for including the 2nd Amendment. Good read.
Dan LeClair
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