The last 14 words of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution are often cited as support for having guns in the hands of anyone who wants them. They read: “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” However, the first 13 words are too often ignored. They read: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State.”
Where are the well-regulated militias, and which ones did the shooters in Uvalde and Buffalo belong to?
Philip L. Bragdon
Shelburne Falls