First of all, at the time it was written, the term militia simply meant all men of an age to bear arms. The organized militia meant that all men of an age to bear arms should have arms and be prepared to be a part of an organized militia. If you simply study the background of those who wrote about the 2nd Amendment during the discussions before the state legislatures during the ratificiation of the Constitution, you would clearly see it was meant to be an individual right and to protect us from government tyrany. For example: 'To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of people always possess arms, and be taught alike especially when young, how to use them." RICHARD HENRY LEE, 1788, INITIATOR OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, AND MEMBER OF THE FIRST SENATE, WHICH PASSED THE BILL OF RIGHTS Patrick Henry The great object is that every man be armed■ and ■everyone who is able may have a gun.■ Patrick Henry, in the Virginia Convention on the ratification of the Constitution.) Samuel Adams That the said Constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press or the rights of conscience; or to prevent the people of The United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms ■■ GEORGE MASON I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people, except for a few public officials. What, Sir, is the use of a militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty. ■ Whenever Governments mean to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order to raise an army upon their ruins.■ ■to disarm the people-that was the best and most effective way to enslave them.