Aardvark wrote:

I think that many Americans misinterpret your Second Amendment to mean
something it wasn't intended to mean. Perhaps members of official
'militias' are allowed to keep and bear arms, but it's a bit of a stretch
to insist that this right should extend to every member of the
population.

I think it is you doing the "misinterpreting". George Mason was one of
our founding fathers and played a large part in writing our "Bill of
Rights", our first ten amendments to our Constitution. In fact, he is
known as the "Father of the Bill of Rights".

George Mason, 3 Elliot, Debates at 425-426

"I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people, except for few
public officials."