Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/07pdf/07-290.pdf
Page Number: 88.0

Cite as:  554 U. S. ____ (2008) 

21 

STEVENS, J., dissenting 

invoking the dangers of a standing army, it suggested that
the Constitution should more broadly protect the use and 
possession  of  weapons,  without  tying  such  a  guarantee
expressly to the maintenance of the militia.  The States of 
Maryland,  Pennsylvania,  and  Massachusetts  sent  no 
relevant proposed amendments to Congress, but in each of
those States a minority of the delegates advocated related
amendments.  While  the  Maryland  minority  proposals
were  exclusively  concerned  with  standing  armies  and 
conscientious objectors, the unsuccessful proposals in both
Massachusetts  and  Pennsylvania  would  have  protected  a 
more broadly worded right, less clearly tied to service in a
state militia.  Faced with all of these options, it is telling 
that James Madison chose to craft the Second Amendment 
as he did. 

The  relevant  proposals  sent  by  the  Virginia  Ratifying 

Convention read as follows: 

“17th,  That  the  people  have  a  right  to  keep  and  bear 
arms;  that  a  well  regulated  Militia  composed  of  the 
body of the people trained to arms is the proper, natu­
ral  and  safe  defence  of  a  free  State.    That  standing 
armies  are  dangerous  to  liberty,  and  therefore  ought 
to be avoided, as far as the circumstances and protec­
tion  of  the  Community  will  admit;  and  that  in  all
cases  the  military  should  be  under  strict  subordina­
tion  to  and  be  governed  by  the  civil  power.”    Elliot 
659. 

“19th.  That  any  person  religiously  scrupulous  of 
bearing arms ought to be exempted, upon payment of 
an  equivalent  to  employ  another  to  bear  arms  in  his
stead.”  Ibid. 

North  Carolina  adopted  Virginia’s  proposals  and  sent 
them  to  Congress  as  its  own,  although  it  did  not  actually 
ratify  the  original  Constitution  until  Congress  had  sent 
the proposed Bill of Rights to the States for ratification.  2