Justice McReynolds
74 N.Y.U. Journal of Law & Liberty [Vol. 3:48
whatever it holds, Miller does not hold that Congress can regulate
firearms directly.
The rejection of Miller’s Tenth Amendment claim highlights
the implausibility of his Second Amendment claim. Miller could not
just argue that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to possess and use NFA firearms. He had to claim it prohibits taxation of
NFA firearms. Unsurprisingly, McReynolds found this claim unconvincing. Whether or not the Second Amendment guarantees an
individual right to keep and bear arms, it hardly prohibits Congress
from taxing particular weapons.
McReynolds assumed the Second Amendment guarantees
the right to keep and bear arms in order to ensure an effective militia exists. “With obvious purpose to assure the continuation and
render possible the effectiveness of such forces the declaration and
guarantee of the Second Amendment were made. It must be interpreted and applied with that end in view.”
195
In other words, the
Militia Clause empowers Congress to regulate the militia,
196
and the
Second Amendment ensures it is armed.
Accordingly, McReynolds devoted most of Miller to analyzing the composition of the militia and the duties of militia service.
After consulting “the debates in the Convention, the history and
legislation of Colonies and States, and the writings of approved
commentators,” he concluded the militia consists of “all males
physically capable of acting in concert for the common defense.”
197
Essentially, everyone subject to conscription.
198
“And further, that
ordinarily when called for service these men were expected to appear bearing arms supplied by themselves and of the kind in common use at the time.”
199
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