To the Editor:

Our Constitution was founded on a system of checks and balances that ensured that the rights of the people and the states were protected from a possible overbearing federal government.

One of the greatest checks put in place to protect the people from government tyranny is the Second Amendment. The purpose of the Second Amendment was not to protect the people’s rights to own hunting firearms or even for simple self-defense. Its original intent was to ensure that the people in the form of a nonstanding militia (the National Guard and federal armed services are considered a standing militia or army) would always have access to the firearms necessary to protect other civilians from federal governmental tyranny.