Right to Bear Arms

The Second Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees to the people a right to bear arms. What that right entails, what limits can legally be imposed on that right, and to whom this right is afforded, however, remain subjects of debate. The amendment states: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Some gun rights activists have adopted an expansive interpretation of the amendment, arguing that it explicitly guarantees individuals the right to own any type of firearm and that any attempt by the government to regulate that right violates the Constitution. Some legal scholars, however, have suggested that the amendment...