I was pleased to read the “My Turn” contribution by Dan Meserve, titled “You have to read the whole amendment” (Monitor Forum, July 21).
For years I have been annoyed when the NRA and others who had no clue about the Second Amendment talk about the right for all in America to own any firearm device that they desire.
That has never been the reason for or supported by the Second Amendment, as Meserve very clearly explains in his piece for the Monitor.
As Dan pointed out, the Second Amendment provided for the right of each state to maintain a “well regulated militia” with the “right of the people to keep and bear arms.” This was the context of the arms “right.” It was very applicable to the times, with a newly formed country consisting of 13 separate states and the need to establish a military organization for each state because there was no specific national army in existence at this time after the revolution.
The NRA continually plays the Second Amendment card to keep selling every military firearm device it can to anyone in order to add to its own coffers.
KEN SAUER
Hopkinton