“tell me what good it is to have a U. S. Constitution when the states can basically butcher any part of it”
Short answer is it’s worthless.
Less short answer is the 2nd and 7th amendments haven’t bee incorporated under the 14th to make them binding upon the states. SCOTUS has been ducking the issue of making All of those idiot anti-2nd infringements the exclusive purview of Congress forever.
But even without the unambiguous “Hands OFF!” in the 2nd, the 14th itself says exactly the same thing.
Section 1 says
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
All persons born (etc) ARE Citizens of the United States, which makes the 2nd, as written, Binding upon the States whether or not SCOTUS has incorporated the 2nd.
I agree with your conclusion.
What I don’t understand is why judges allow states to trample all over the second amendment, when a simple use of logic would prevent them from doing the same type of thing with the first amendment.
The first amendment is nearly untouchable, and the second is scared by the intensive and continuing battle damage.
How is that equitable in their judgment?