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BACK IN THE DAY # 21-072 October 22, 1997"2nd Amendment confers gun rights - but for whom?"A 1939 Supreme Court ruling has been regarded by lower federal courts as a definitive decision that the Second Amendment was designed to preserve state militias, not to give individuals an absolute right to keep and bear arms.The would be correct. The 2nd Amendment does not give the people a right, it recognizes their right and guarantees it "will not be infringed."It is always a marvel to see the dance and slide around the language in the 2nd Amendment the statists do to try and pretend that it does not say what it says.The language and vocabulary is clear. While the founders certainly knew and understood the word privilege, they used the word 'right' for a reason. While they clearly understood the words knife, sword, club, catapult, bow, arrow, spear, sling, as well as cannon, rifle, musket, they used the all-inclusive word 'arms'. While the founders certainly knew the words of qualification that would have changed the 2nd Amendment into the privilege that the statists pretend it is, but they chose the hard and fast words "shall not be infringed."Since this article was printed in 1997, thankfully the SCOTUS has revisited the 2nd Amendment and have clarified support for the founder's intent to ensure the government itself did not disarm us.GW