Gun Control & RKBA
In reply to the discussion: The meaning of the Second Amendment (One Perspective) [View all]jimmy the one
(2,712 posts)eleanors: The right referenced in 2A is that of the people, not of the militia. In all instances in the BOR, the right of the people is an individual right.
Some polls, albeit a bit dated & wording could've been better in cbs first poll; shows that democrats are split pretty evenly at parity between thinking 2ndA confers/protects an individual rkba outside of militia.
cbs1999: Do you think {2A} guarantees all Americans the right to own guns, or does it not necessarily guarantee that?"
..................... all .. repubs .. dems .. ind
Does guarantee 48 ......59 ......41 ....46
Not necessarily 38 .....30 ......44 ....39 ------ No ans 14..11 ..15 ..15
abc 1999: Why do you own a gun? What's the main reason?"
Hunting 49 Protection 26 Target/Sport 8 Collect/Hobby 4 2ndA/constitutional right 4 Other 10
abc: 2002. N=1,028 2ndA: '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.' In your opinion does this guarantee only the right of the states to maintain militias, or also the right of individuals to own guns?"
States to maintain militias 20 Individuals to own guns 73 No opinion 8
http://www.pollingreport.com/guns3.htm
The wording of the abc poll renders this result somewhat meaningless per the ind/mil dichotomy, since it includes a veiled 'limited' individual right, which I agree with myself; that is a militia based rkba with an adjunct limited individual rkba. Note the poll wording asks 'ALSO the right of individuals to own guns (along with the militia rkba).
The founding fathers would not have said 'there is no individual right to own a firearm', but they would also have said the rkba was constitutionally intended for militia. There was no such mil/ind dichotomy then that existed.
There's another 2009 cnn poll on rkba, which falls into same trap as this last one.