This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Why is it that those who claim Second Amendment rights always quote the passage that contains "the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed," but rarely include its introductory clause: "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state ..."? The key phrase there is "well regulated."
John R. Peterson
Salt Lake City