[Q
Amendment II: House of Representatives, Amendments to the Constitution
The amount of times I've posted this, and still people ignore it. It's from the debates in the House (Senate debates were kept secret).
This was the clause they were looking at. If you look at the changes of the clause over the course of time they changed bear arms to "but no person religiously scrupulous shall be compelled to bear arms."
But it was also "but no person religiously scrupulous of bearing arms shall be compelled to render military service in person." (this from June 8th 1789)
Mr Gerry said: "They can declare who are those religiously scrupulous, and prevent them from bearing arms."
and: "Now, if we give a discretionary power to exclude those from militia duty who have religious scruples, we may as well make no provision on this head."
Mr Jackson wanted: ""No one, religiously scrupulous of bearing arms, shall be compelled to render military service, in person, upon paying an equivalent.""
Mr Sherman stated: "Mr. Sherman conceived it difficult to modify the clause and make it better. It is well known that those who are religiously scrupulous of bearing arms, are equally scrupulous of getting substitutes or paying an equivalent." and further on "besides, it would not do to alter it so as to exclude the whole of any sect, because there are men amongst the Quakers who will turn out, notwithstanding the religious principles of the society, and defend the cause of their country."
and Mr Vining: "Mr. Vining hoped the clause would be suffered to remain as it stood, because he saw no use in it if it was amended so as to compel a man to find a substitute, which, with respect to the Government, was the same as if the person himself turned out to fight."
They all saw "bear arms" as turning out to fight, militia duty, render military service and the like. Not one of them thought this had anything to do with carrying arms for self defense.