Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

flamin lib

(14,559 posts)
5. The phrasing is 'right of the people'.
Tue Mar 27, 2018, 12:43 PM
Mar 2018

That could be interpreted as a group right as in "all men are created equal" being everybody instead of individual men. It could be interpreted as an individual right which is what the absolutists choose to do.

Looking elsewhere in the Constitution I see words capitalized when when referring to individuals as in Article 1 section 2, "No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years".

Many scholars think that the wording of the Constitution is deliberately vague and there were no minutes kept during the actual discussions and debates during the writing of the document, either to leave room for interpretation or to assuage both sides of a given issue by not absolutely defining a position.

An argument can be made either way, but the contemporary evidence i.e. the Federalist papers indicates a communal right of the state's population at large.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Gun Control Reform Activism»A well regulated militia,...»Reply #5