General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The 2nd Amendment was NOT written "to protect us from our gov't," FFS... [View all]cheapdate
(3,811 posts)As one of the authors of the Bill of Rights, Madison came to believe that it ought to be applied against the states as well as against the national government. He was joined in this belief by many people, including (for self-interested reasons) property owners. The question first went to the Supreme Court in 1833 in Barron v. Baltimore -- which ruled that the Bill of Rights applied only against the national government. But the question has remained contentious and has been litigated ever since. It's still not entirely settled and may never be. But with the 14th amendment and Hugo Black's subsequent interpretation of it -- I believe it's essentially settled in the minds of most Americans.
But my point is that it was never as unequivocal as you suggest.