Interpreting the 2nd Amendment 250 years later.

As a new nation in the late 18th century without a standing army, a young independent America relied on state militias for defense. Militias were composed of ordinary citizens who were expected to be ready for military service and the phrase ‘well regulated’ was understood to mean a disciplined and well-trained force necessary for the security of a free state. Over time this collective right for protection against tyranny has increasingly been interpreted as an individual right to possess firearms, a view solidified by the Supreme Court in cases such as District of Columbia v. Heller (2008).