I don't care what anyone thinks about their right to own guns

[TeddyR]

168. That is absolutely incorrect

I'm happy to debate the merits of gun control/bans but if you are misreading the Constitution then there is too big of a disconnect to begin with -- the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to keep and bear arms, period. The prefatory clause states that a "well regulated militia" -- meaning a militia trained in the use of arms -- is one of the reasons for protecting this right. That is not the only reason and many state constitutions at the time this country was formed stated that citizens had the right to bear arms for the defense of themselves. Many also included similar prefatory clauses addressing all kinds of rights other than the right to bear arms. I recommend reading The Commonplace Second Amendment, which discusses the use of prefatory clauses in state constitutions. And another important point is that at the time the Constitution was drafted the "militia" included all able-bodied citizens, i.e., the "people."