I am unable to understand this "Right to bear arms" concept. If you have a gun, surely you know that you intend to use it, which makes you a potential murderer? If you never intend to use it, why have it in the first place?
I accept that there are places in remote areas where there are predators, as has been stated, but in the vast majority of locations, no such dangers exist, so NO excuse.
Ron.
That's 'cos you ain't old enough .. by about 200 and a few years !!
The "right to bear arms" was enshrined in the US constitution as the 2nd Amendment in 1791 and reads "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."
and the wording is important .. VERY important
At the time idea of the "united" states was very, very new, and each state was still pretty autonomous, and protected its perceived "rights" with vigour. There was a strong fear that the "new" centralised government would "take over" and restrict each states right to self defence, among other things. The idea of a central army did not exist, each town / state / region formed its own local militia.
Hence the precise wording that starts "a well regulated militia......" and includes "the security of a free State" gives a strong indication of the purpose for which it was made.
Those days are long since past, but the NRA has distorted the real reason for Amendment 2 and focuses on the narrow last few words "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." which is not what the Founding Fathers intended, and is not needed in modern society as the actual idea of forming a militia to protect a state is somewhat ridiculous.
However, that's why the words exist, that's how they have been distorted, and that's why America is in mourning right now.