Disarmed by Time: The Second Amendment and the Failure of Originalism

Originalism provides the core arguments for an individual right "to keep and bear Arms." The appropriate role of original intent in constitutional law, however, has been debated for the past two decades. In this Article, Farber illustrates how the Second Amendment exemplifies the classic, well-known criticisms of originalism. This does not prove, of course, that the conventional understanding of the Second Amendment should be retained. But, Farber concludes, advocates for a drastic expansion of Second Amendment rights will need something beyond the ambiguous historical record if they wish to show why, in today's world, gun rights warrant constitutional protection.