2A and what it means

Dave1776 · Mar 7, 2014

You know awhile back I was reading this book on the amendments and it got me think. We all talk about 2A and most just talk only about 2A as if it is all alone by itself. In fact it is anything but alone. It has 14 other amendments to go along with in. Below is what I came up with and would like everyones thoughts on it.

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What was the intent of those who signed the Bill of Rights?? What were the states views?

You know I got reading a book today on the Bill of Rights and it got me thinking on something that was said in it. The item brought to mind was states bill of rights meaning the states versions of the bill of rights as applied to that state. So I started to dig into these some and it goes to show what the state governments who had to ratify the federal bill of rights had to say with regard to the right to keep and bare arms.

Of the 14 states that ratified the Bill of Rights (Federal) 7 of these states had provisions in their own state Bill of Rights that very clearly show that the individual had a right to keep and bear arms for their own defense. 5 of the 7 refer specifically to the individuals defense of self, family or property. The other 2 just say the individual has this right but does not refer to defense but lists it as an individual right not connected to militia use. Those states are listed in bold below since can't colorize the text.

Of the remaining 6 state

New Jersey does not appear to have an amendment for Arms or Militia but Amendment 1 clearly states

and defending life and liberty, of acquiring, possessing, and protecting property,

Massachusetts also has a similar 1st amendment

among which may be reckoned the right of enjoying and defending their lives and liberties;

Maryland seems to lean towards Militia use as they have no reference to Arms in regards to individuals but then it does not prohibit either so..........

South Carolina same as Maryland no reference to individual right but I know when I lived in South Carolina the state did pass the right of a home owner to shoot an intruder in defense of their home, person or family so while the founders of Maryland did not enumerate it into their Bill of Rights the state did finally pass law protecting homeowners from even killing in self defense.

Virginia pretty much parrots the federal Bill of Rights saying that the people have a right to keep and bear arms.

New York only references Militias but does not refer to arms be it individual or Militia so while their Bill of Rights does not guarantee this right it also does not prohibit

North Carolina pretty much parrots the federal Bill of Rights saying that the people have a right to keep and bear arms.

So of the remaining 7 states 2 while not referring to arms do reference the right of the individual to defend himself. 3 of the states make no reference for or against individuals keeping and bearing arms and the last 2 states parrot the second amendment which does refer to it being the right of the people to keep and bear arms.

So overwhelmingly the states show a strong support of the right belonging to the people not only in relation to Militia since half the states at the time clearly refer to it as an individual right and the others tend to agree even though wording does not say so specifically the written text it also leans towards it being a right.

So it makes no sense why at minimum half the states would have sighed a document that did not agree with their own Bill of Rights.

Below are the state links to the states Bill of Rights and the amendment best suited for the topic based on available amendments. Order is based on the states as they joined the union

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1 Delaware

http://delcode.delaware.gov/constitution/constitution-02.shtml#P95_7849

§ 20. Right to keep and bear arms.

Section 20. A person has the right to keep and bear arms for the defense of self, family, home and State, and for hunting and recreational use.

2 Pennsylvania

http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Constitution.html

Right to Bear Arms

Section 21. The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State shall not be questioned.

3 New Jersey

http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/lawsconstitution/constitution.asp

1. All persons are by nature free and independent, and have certain natural and unalienable rights, among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty, of acquiring, possessing, and protecting property, and of pursuing and obtaining safety and happiness.

4 Georgia

http://sos.georgia.gov/elections/constitution.htm

Paragraph VIII. Arms, right to keep and bear. The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, but the General Assembly shall have power to prescribe the manner in which arms may be borne.

5 Connecticut

http://www.cslib.org/constitutionalamends/constitution.htm

SEC. 15. Every citizen has a right to bear arms in defense of himself and the state.

6 Massachusetts

https://malegislature.gov/laws/constitution#cart106.htm

Article CVI. Article I of Part the First of the Constitution is hereby annulled and the following is adopted:-

All people are born free and equal and have certain natural, essential and unalienable rights; among which may be reckoned the right of enjoying and defending their lives and liberties; that of acquiring, possessing and protecting property; in fine, that of seeking and obtaining their safety and happiness. Equality under the law shall not be denied or abridged because of sex, race, color, creed or national origin.

7 Maryland

http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/43const/html/00dec.html

Art. 28. That a well regulated Militia is the proper and natural defence of a free Government.

8 South Carolina

http://www.scstatehouse.gov/scconstitution/a01.php

SECTION 20. Right to keep and bear arms; armies; military power subordinate to civil authority; how soldiers quartered.

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. As, in times of peace, armies are dangerous to liberty, they shall not be maintained without the consent of the General Assembly. The military power of the State shall always be held in subordination to the civil authority and be governed by it. No soldier shall in time of peace be quartered in any house without the consent of the owner nor in time of war but in the manner prescribed by law. (1970 (56) 2684; 1971 (57) 315.)

9 New Hampshire

http://www.nh.gov/constitution/billofrights.html

[Art.] 2-a. [The Bearing of Arms.] All persons have the right to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves, their families, their property and the state.

10 Virginia

http://constitution.legis.virginia.gov/

Section 13. Militia; standing armies; military subordinate to civil power.

That a well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defense of a free state, therefore, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; that standing armies, in time of peace, should be avoided as dangerous to liberty; and that in all cases the military should be under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power.

11 New York

http://www.dos.ny.gov/info/constitution.htm

No Amendment seems to reference arms be it for personal use to Militia usage.

12 North Carolina

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/legislation/constitution/ncconstitution.html

Sec. 30. Militia and the right to bear arms.

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; and, as standing armies in time of peace are dangerous to liberty, they shall not be maintained, and the military shall be kept under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power. Nothing herein shall justify the practice of carrying concealed weapons, or prevent the General Assembly from enacting penal statutes against that practice.

13 Rhode Island

http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/RiConstitution/C01.html

Section 22. Right to bear arms. -- The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

14 Vermont

http://www.leg.state.vt.us/statutes/const2.htm

Right to bear arms; standing armies; military power subordinate to civil

That the people have a right to bear arms for the defence of themselves and the State - and as standing armies in time of peace are dangerous to liberty, they ought not to be kept up; and that the military should be kept under strict subordination to and governed by the civil power.

Fallschirjmäger · Mar 7, 2014

I can't see anything controversial about that.

Dave1776 · Mar 10, 2014

Yeah while reading the book it just got me wondering why there is so much talk about 2A but not much talk about what the states felt as it just helps strengthen the argument of 2A that it is individual right not merely a militia connection

Gallowmere · Mar 12, 2014

Dave1776 said:
Yeah while reading the book it just got me wondering why there is so much talk about 2A but not much talk about what the states felt as it just helps strengthen the argument of 2A that it is individual right not merely a militia connection

Because they predicted all of the dummies on Facebook who would vomit forth crap like "where's the WELL-REGULATED militia you are part of...what? You don't have one? You clearly do not need a gun." However, when you try to bring up state constitutions, you generally get "lolol those don't matter"...yet they are whining about people not following state laws. Hrmm...something smells a lot like stupid.

ChristCrusader · Mar 13, 2014

No matter how carefully a contract was constructed to protect your rights, or how much blood was spent to buy it, if you don't guard your interests and demand adherence to the terms, don't exercise your rights, or if the other party to the contract becomes so strong and influential as to become immune to suits and pressures to comply with the contract, the contract is in effect nullified.

We need to start electing ourselves onto the board of the other party to the contract. I wonder if electing a joe-blow who will vote no for the duration of his term would be an improvement over the traitors in office nowadays.

SouthernBoy · Mar 13, 2014

"Virginia pretty much parrots the federal Bill of Rights saying that the people have a right to keep and bear arms."

You've got this backwards. The federal Bill of Rights was written from the Virginia Constitution at the urging of George Mason and Patrick Henry. The Second Amendment was drafted from Section 13 of that document.

sudden valley gunner · Mar 14, 2014

SouthernBoy said:
"Virginia pretty much parrots the federal Bill of Rights saying that the people have a right to keep and bear arms."

You've got this backwards. The federal Bill of Rights was written from the Virginia Constitution at the urging of George Mason and Patrick Henry. The Second Amendment was drafted from Section 13 of that document.

+1 And the Virginia constitution does us a favor by defining what a militia is.

2A and what it means

Dave1776

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Fallschirjmäger

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Dave1776

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Gallowmere

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ChristCrusader

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SouthernBoy

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sudden valley gunner

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