“Most linguists and historians agreed with Stevens’s interpretation, emphasizing that the phrase “bear arms” in 1791 was used most often in a collective, military sense.” ibid
And Stevens and the cunning linguists would be wrong. SCOTUS has been clear and definitive that the right to keep and bear arms is not granted by the 2nd Amendment thus the right is not in any manner dependent on the Constitution for its existence. Of what import and significance do words --
upon which the right to arms does not depend -- have of the recognition, exercise and protection of the right?
The premise of the right being conditioned upon and/or qualified by the militia connotation of "bear arms" also fails because of SCOTUS precedent. In saying the right is not in any manner dependent on the Constitution, the Court is declaring that arguing the right is qualified by or conditioned upon a citizen's attachment or enrollment in a structure (the organized militia) that is created by the Constitution and is entirely dependent itself on the Constitution for its existence, is preposterous.
And, also in theory, it’s possible that a future Supreme Court could overturn Heller, abandoning the individual right interpretation and restoring the collective right interpretation.
How???? The "militia right interpretation" was never a position held by the Supreme Court, it was entirely a diversion emanating from and contained within, the
lower federal courts.
There is no Supreme Court "militia right" holding or precedent to claw back and reassert.
The "militia right" theory
did exist in the southern states, to facilitate and justify their racist discriminatory policies. Since Blacks were barred from serving in the militia, (by federal militia law), southern states declared their state constitution's RKBA to only be recognized for Whites. That's the provenance of the theory you embrace . . .
The entire "militia right" theory (in the federal system) is a mirage, there is
nothing there. It was resurrected from its racist roots and inserted in the federal system in 1942 for the singular purpose of justifying ignoring SCOTUS in
Miller.
The four
Heller liberal dissenting Justices, by confirming the individual right has
always been the interpretation represented in SCOTUS precedent, and that the individual right was the only interpretation represented in the three
Heller opinions, (majority and two dissents), has forever closed the door on your fantasy.
.