What a crock, in a time and place where the meaning of words are set in water with the average recent college graduate unable to pass an eighth grade English final from his grandfather’s era, language “experts” are going to tell us what the founding fathers really meant. I think it is fairly well known that most people of that era owned firearms whether or not they belonged to the militia. Had they not we would probably never have been able to even attempt to overcome British rule so there most likely would not ever have been an American constitution, let alone a second amendment.
It is noteworthy to remember that not only were these THE VERY PEOPLE involved in the first fights at Lexington and Concord were to TAKE the militia’s arms stored at Concord FROM the patriots.
Earlier then that, the city armory at Williamsburg VA was threatened by the British regulars and the arms stored inside had to be defended BY the Continental irregulars on a moment’s notice.
Also up north past Boston, another raid on a state armory was defeated by horsemen waking up locals after dark. (Girl did the rising that time.)
In their immediate experience of the past 15 years, three times the local MILITIA HAD TO BE ARMED from their homes - independent of the “regulars” in the Army.