Letter: Second Amendment is foundation of freedom
Gun control advocates contextualize the Second amendment to be primarily about a militia. Since the Framers were conditioned by their historical situation, they could not see the advancement of firearms and the professional military.
A militia is not necessary for the right to keep and bear arms, but the right to keep and bear arms is necessary for a militia. The right to keep and bear arms makes a militia possible. The right to keep and bear arms is an individual right in order to have corporate defense. The individual right protected the collective body of citizens. This principle of self and corporate defense through individual gun ownership still exists and applies.
Self and corporate defense of what? Freedom. This principle of the Second Amendment and the Constitution still stands. The protection of freedom against tyranny. Often neglected is that the Second Amendment is also concerned about private property rights. The Second, Third and Fourth amendments deal with rights of property. Please note the first private property right established is the right to security (keep and bear arms), both individually and collectively (militia).
The Second Amendment is the gatekeeper for protection of private property rights, not merely the right to corporate and individual security.
Rodney Nelson, Richland
This story was originally published April 11, 2018 at 3:23 PM with the headline "Letter: Second Amendment is foundation of freedom."