The Evolution of the Gun Rights Debate in the U.S.: Interpreting the Second Amendment in a Changing Historical Context

Abstract

There is generally a combination of factors that account for a social issue remaining relatively “dormant” for a period only to emerge to capture the attention of society and produce a fault line separating the opposing camps. In the U.S., there are a number of “hot button”, polarizing issues that pit Americans staunchly on one side or the other. Gun rights is one of them. Trying to understand why this has become such a divisive topic over the last couple of decades requires an examination of the more reasoned legal and Constitutional debates regarding the Second Amendment, including a look at the historical context of its drafting and its textual and linguistic nuances, as well as a consideration of the contextual background in the country against which the developments in this on-going debate have played out. Among the latter, this article will examine the ideological transformation of the NRA since its inception in 1871 and the increasing affirmation of Movement Conservatism beginning in the mid-20^th century, two factors that, in turn, are interrelated.