SHOULD INDIVIDUALS HAVE A PRIVATE RIGHT TO OWN GUNS EVEN WHEN THEY’RE NOT IN THE MILITIA?

Yes. Individuals under a reasonable position should have a right to own guns even if they’re not in the militia.

• Framers’ intention
  • The Second Amendment was written to allow the right for individuals to bear arms to secure the safety of the country. This condition was valid in the ancient American society with the presence of the militia, a well-organized group of citizens joined together to fight against the enemy. However, the writer of the Constitution’s true intention and the emphasis is on the safety and security of the country, instead of the militia. The militia was mentioned because of the tight inter-country relationship centuries ago that made the militia seem to be the only solution to the security of the country. However, this is apparently not the case now. There is a well-organized US army protecting the safety of the country, and police officers along with other related occupations preserving the domestic peace of the country. Therefore, individuals with a reasonable position, such as Mr. Heller who possess the ability to protect the security of the country and its citizens, should have the right to own guns.
• Contemporary social values and needs
  • The contemporary social values and needs make individuals with a reasonable and justifiable occupation have the right to own guns. The militia no longer occupies a significant value in the present society. The government has been formally recruiting and organizing soldiers to constitute the US Army in nowadays. Therefore, limiting the right to own guns to militia members is unreasonable and unpractical in the present society. On the other hand, the society is constantly in need of protection and justice, and that does not exclude the “off-work hours” of police officers and any position-related people. The duty that police officers carry to stand up against injustice and discrimination is not limited to working hours. These people with a justifiable position have been trained to use guns, as well as evaluating the severity of the situation to carry out guns, therefore it can be guaranteed that guns would not be used brutally and unreasonably.