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This was recently posted to Quora. One of the best responses I've ever seen, and by a Slovenian.
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"Why do gun nuts conveniently forget the first 12 words of the Second Amendment to the Constitution?"
Greetings Class, My name is Jan and I’m your Slovenian substitute teacher for US civics class. Your previous professor was fired, because he failed to teach you anything.
Now, Len (the OP of the original question), has a question that I’d like to discuss with you:
Why do gun nuts conveniently forget the first 12 words of the Second Amendment to the Constitution?

First off, Len, who to you is a gun nut, and why do you try to use it as an insult?
A gun nut is just a person who likes guns. But do you call a person who loves cars a car nut? I don’t think so.

Now, let’s go over the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution:
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. (source: https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/amendment-2/)

The first twelve (12) words of which are:
A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free
of a free what, comrade Len?

Do those twelve (12) words make any sense to you? Or did you also fail grammar and math, and cannot count? Do I have to speak with your other professors as well?
I think you were referring to the first thirteen (13) words of the Second Amendment, which read as
A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State

We don’t forget about that part, also known as the prefatory clause, something you covered in English class, or I hope you did. A prefatory clause announces a purpose but does not limit or expand the scope of the second part, the operative clause.
In this case, the operative clause is:
the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed

The prefatory clause just announces why the operative clause is needed. It can be disregarded or replaced by almost anything without really changing the meaning of the operative clause. It could read as:
Because our government might try to impose a tyrannical rule,
I need a good breakfast so,
George over there says,
And it would have no effect on the meaning of the second part. It could also be completely deleted.

But, if you really REALLY want to keep the first part, I’ll translate it into modern lingo for you:
A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State
a well-regulated militia is in modern lingo, a well-maintained and kept Militia (well-regulated does not mean with a [.....] of regulations covering it…, just like a well-regulated clock is one that functions well, not one that is governed by regulations).

And I ask you, Lenn:
"I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people except for a few public officials"
George Mason

Meaning everyone is a part of the militia (or at least, every adult citizen of the United States)

Free State does not refer to a State like Texas, Missouri, Commiefornia etc., but to the State of being Free. For you as a person to be free.

So if we translate the entire Second Amendment into modern, it would read as:
Because a well organized Militia is necessary to ensure the Freedom of every citizen, the government, both State and Federal shall not make any attempt to infringe on the Right of the People to own and bear arms of any kind

Jan Salobir

That’s a good answer. I post on Quora from time to time, under the same username I use here.

jmorris wrote: ↑Sat Oct 14, 2023 9:23 pm This was recently posted to Quora. One of the best responses I've ever seen, and by a Slovenian.
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"Why do gun nuts conveniently forget the first 12 words of the Second Amendment to the Constitution?"

I saw that question and kept scrolling. I've been ignoring more and more of those troll questions on Quora lately. I missed that answer.

I try to answer some of legitimate gun questions on Quora that are sent to me, but many are from trolls, so I delete most of the forwarded questions, but every once in a while I may say something like go back under your bridge or reply very sarcastically. The responder one this one did a great job. The unfortunate reality is most people do not change their opinions even when presented with undeniable facts.