I renounce my 2nd amendment right

[CapnSteve]

24. OK, Let me fill in the gaps for you...

First, here is Amendment 2, ratified in 1791: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

The slave states had established well regulated militias, and required that all citizens (at this point in our history, this would be land-owning white men) be a part of these militias. The primary purpose of these militias were to capture, beat and return run away slaves and protect against any large slave rebellions. They called these militias "slave patrols".

The reason behind the second amendment was to guarantee to the slave states that they would be able to keep their slave patrols. Otherwise, what would keep the federal government from disbanding these slave patrols? Without them, slavery would become untenable.

So: "we'll regulated militia" = "slave patrols"; "State" = Vriginia. The second amendment was a give-away to slave states to get them to ratify the Constitution, and it protects the right for states to raise their own well regulated militias for whatever reason.

Clear?