I actually believe in the individual rights interpretation of the Second Amendment; but if an idea is sound it can stand criticism. In order to avoid confirmation bias, I’d like to read what arguments there are for the collective interpretation. Specifically, I’d like to read any cites claiming that the Framers of the Constitution considered, and explicitly rejected, a private individual right to keep and bear arms outside of a government organized militia.
If you haven’t read this outstanding article on the 2[sup]nd[/sup], I urge you to take a peek at it. It’s fairly concise and more than worth the time taken to read it.
Those cites simply do not exist.
The collective right interpretation was created in the federal courts in 1942 with the “militia right” and “state’s right” inventions of Cases v. U.S, 131 F.2d 916 (1 st Cir. 1942) and U.S. v. Tot, **131 F.2d 261 **(3 rd Cir. 1942).
Those lower court opinions held sway for some 66 odd years until DC v Heller re-re-re-affirmed the Supreme Court’s unwavering “individual right” interpretation and invalidated Tot and Cases and their progeny.
A lot of documentation here, including dissenting opinions of court cases: