A Citizen’s Guide to the Second Amendment

Abstract

Now—when a new generation is poised to enter the fray of the American debate over the meaning of the Second Amendment and how we might control the possession and use of firearms in our country—a review of the evolution of the firearms debate through the prism of historical documents, congressional debate and legislation, regulations by federal agencies, and statistical data seems useful. Such an undertaking is daunting and can never be exhaustive; yet, if we are to have a substantive conversation and find a reasonable path forward, citizens need to be armed with information.