>Well, the Constitution as interpreted by 5 of 9 Supreme Court justices, anyway. To me it takes an act of will to not see the 2nd Amendment's context of an armed militia. Given all their lofty ideals it's hard for me to believe the founders envisioned an entire society running around armed to the teeth.


But that was exactly the society of the time. Back then just about every family had at least one weapon (just like farmers today)....well except for the Quakers and Mennonites of course...Back then they usually fought using their own personal weapon (which may be what the 2nd amendment was all about because as I recall from history, not that many supported a government sponsored standing Army back then (such as Jefferson who thought it was dangerous and preferred the Switzerland model unlike Hamilton who did want a standing Army). Jefferson wanted every family to be armed and called up by the local militia leader thinking that our odds of being attacked would be much slimmer. I don't think they ever imagined the weapons of today though that would negate an armed public because we could simply be bombed to oblivion instead.