And then there is this...
The prohibition is general. No clause in the constitution could by any rule of construction be conceived to give congress a power to disarm the people. Such a flagitious attempt could only be made under some general pretence by a state legislature. But if in any blind pursuit of inordinate power, either should attempt it, this amendment may be appealed to as a restraint on both. - William Rawle, “A View of the Constitution of the United States of America” (1829)
Not involved in the Drafting of the Bill of rights,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Rawle
Nonetheless in my heart I agree with him on the 2nd amendment in printable.
You see what he is saying is technically true of most all the Amendments. Congress did not before the ‘bill of rights’ have any right to make domestic laws on speech arms, search and secure, ect...
The point of the ‘bill of rights’ was to see to it that they did not try a more pointless(’flexible’) ‘interpretation’ by their own hand picked employees and ignore the fact that they haven’t been given power to govern domestically.
In the case of the 2nd amendment if taken out of its context it would even seem that in theory you could apply it to all governments. In practice however the 9th and 10th amendments make it clear that the context of the ‘Bill of rights’ is that of the Federal Constitution not the States or local governments.
This is a good printable because people are very bit as capable of making State constitutions to address State Government excesses. The last thing we should want is a Federal Constitution providing a tool for uniform abuse, corruption, or dysfunction.
William Rawle being a lawyer and Federal district attorney had very little intrest in the reserved rights of the people and their States.