Searching for the Plain Meaning of the Second Amendment

Authors

Kevin D. Szczepanski

First Page

197

Document Type

Comment

Rights

Erratum

THE BUFFALO LAW REVIEW wishes to correct a citation error appearing in our Volume 44-1. In his article, Searching for the Plain Meaning of the Second Amendment, 44 BUFF. L. REV. 197 (1996), Kevin Szczepanski cited to an article authored by Dennis Henigan and Keith Ehrman entitled: The Second Amendment in the Twentieth Century: Have You Seen Your Militia Lately?, 15 U. DAYTON L. REV. 5 (1989). Although Mr. Szczepanski properly cited to Mr. Henigan and Mr. Ehrman's article on numerous oc- casions, he incorrectly cited to their article in support of the pro- position that the "central purpose" of the Second Amendment is to ensure that individuals citizens would be armed as a deter- rent against federal tyranny. Mr. Szczepanski quoted the article as follows "[T]he [Slecond [A]mendment is aimed at ensuring that all private citizens would be armed, and thus able to rise up in revolt against any goverment action perceived by the masses at 'tyrannical"' Id. at 216 n. 114.

Unfortunately, this quotation has been taken out of context. The quoted language descibes not the viewpoint of Mr. Henigan and Mr. Ehrman, but rather that of "those who oppose govern- ment efforts to regulate firearms . . . ." 15 U. DAYTON L. REV. at 24. The next paragraph, and indeed Mr. Henigan and Mr. Ehrman's entire article, -is devoted to refuting the thesis ex- pressed in the quoted language. As the authors argue, the pur- pose of the Second Amendment is to protect the people's right to be armed in service to state-sponsored militias, not to resist the* "tyranny" of federal agencies.

Recommended Citation

Kevin D. Szczepanski, Searching for the Plain Meaning of the Second Amendment, 44 Buff. L. Rev. 197 (1996).
Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.buffalo.edu/buffalolawreview/vol44/iss1/7