What did it mean to be well regulated?
One of the biggest challenges in interpreting a centuries-old document is that the meanings
of words change or diverge.
"Well-regulated in the 18th century tended to be something like well-organized, well-armed,
well-disciplined," says Rakove. "It didn't mean 'regulation' in the sense that we use it now, in
that it's not about the regulatory state. There's been nuance there. It means the militia was
in an effective shape to fight."
In other words, it didn't mean the state was controlling the militia in a certain way, but rather
that the militia was prepared to do its duty.
You should be happy since it is CNN.
But I didn't say they didn't mean it. I said, and I will type really slowly for you, is that it is a perfunctory clause. It is
A not
THE ONLY reason.
Give you one word of advice, don't use Merriam-Webster during constitutional debates. Legal meaning of words and dictionary meaning can vary, greatly at times.
