Gun Control & RKBA

people found the song so confusing. It was always clear to me.

If you really wish to change the wording, look at the drafts of the Amendment-

The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; a well armed and well regulated militia being the best security of a free country but no person religiously scrupulous of bearing arms shall be compelled to render military service in person

later

A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, being the best security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; but no one religiously scrupulous of bearing arms shall be compelled to render military service in person.

Now you may try to argue that both of these, and indeed every other draft, mentions militia. One could argue that the founders felt only the militia should bear arms but you would be wrong. Both the Federalists and anti-Federalists agreed on the dangers of an over-powerful central government. George Mason spoke on the concern of how the militia must be a counterbalance for the people:


The founders did believe in the militias being controlled by the states until summoned to duty by Congress. That leaves open a question they likely did not consider- What if the states neglect their duty to maintain militias?

That is answered by the Ninth and Tenth Amendments:




If the states will not maintain militias the right to keep and bear arms will then revert to the people.