LogFAQs > #965293511

Maniac64 posted...

The right to have weapons as part of a well regulated militia is expressly protected.

The right to individually own as many guns as you want and carry them around on your own is not.

That's not what it says. What is says is:

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.

The part about the militia explains the purpose of the amendment, rather than limiting the scope of its command. There's some ambiguity of course but don't act like there isn't when the literal reading of it does not limit the right to militias. It's very similar in structure to the Second Commandment (citing KJV since that's the translation the framers would have used):

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

So taken literally, this means that all art depicting things that exist in reality is prohibited. But it also has an explanation of purpose that would appear to limit its scope to things which may compete with God for worship. But it does not literally say that, and hence we have widely differing interpretations from different religions/churches.