Quote Originally Posted by Philipvs Vallindervs Calicvla View Post
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Your Constitution provides for a "well regulated" militia - QED the State should regulate the ownership and carriage of weapons so that seditious groups and enemy aliens, along with the criminal and insane, are prevented from carrying weapons.

IN FACT it would seem that REFUSING to regulate the citizen militia at all is as unconstitutional as a blanket ban.

"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."....
There is an excellent point here. Clear indications from the Federalist papers and other then-extent commentary suggest that the founders did view the bearing of arms as an individual right. Guns were kept in the home and were used by individuals and brought to musterings of the militia. In the larger cities of the East Coast, some cities held weapons at the armory and issued them to the citizenry as needed (city dwellers were less likely to own).

However, you make a nice point that the amendment clearly limits the federal government's ability to infringe on the bearing of arms, some degree of regulation by the several states is implied. A fair point to consider. State "dodges" such as declaring all adults part of the "un-regulated militia" may well be running against the provision.

When we were defended by a militia, ALL males of 16 years and older were expected to turn out and bear arms unless they were crippled, incompetent, or were in occupations/roles clearly accepted as being non-violent. Yet our communities DID keep weapons out of the hands of persons thought to be mentally incompetent. There is at least some precedent for regulation at the state level.