what's the second amendment

The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution states: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." It was ratified on December 15, 1791, as part of the Bill of Rights. This amendment protects an individual right for Americans to keep and bear arms, primarily for self- defense and the security of a free state. The term "militia" originally referred to the whole people, emphasizing their role in defending the country. The amendment restricts the government from infringing on the right of law- abiding citizens to possess firearms. Supreme Court rulings, such as District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), have affirmed that the right to bear arms includes individual self-defense rights, while also recognizing certain limits on this right, like restrictions on possession by felons or the mentally ill.