Dave LaCourse

Dave LaCourse is the public affairs director for the Second Amendment Foundation, which works to inform Americans that the Second Amendment protects their right to bear arms. In the following viewpoint, LaCourse contends that the courts have consistently ruled that the Second Amendment does not grant a “collective” right—a right granted to the states—but an individual right to bear arms. He points out that the Second Amendment is part of the Bill of Rights, which grants rights to individuals, not states.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. In the author’s opinion, why is it clear that the writers of the Second Amendment did not use the term “militia” to refer to the National Guard?
2. Which other amendments to the Constitution...