I read the Federalist Papers years ago. I need to do it again because now I think I may understand them a bit better. I do know Hamilton was more Democratic leaning in todays terms than Republic but if one takes in account his own history, it's easy to understand his point of view. He was a bit of a puzzle though. He was a genius in setting up the treasury and the coast guard but he was really dumb to get that angry with Burr. He was with Washington and learned much from him in the years during the war. It's well known that he and his brother were not the child of their mothers husband. That stigma never left him. He was always trying to prove he deserved to be at the table and earned his share of the meal. How much of that treatment stayed with him, I'm not sure but he was not keen on 'class' distinction. Today, he may be for a more central government because of the 'equality' aspects of it.
None of them wanted a 'State' religion. That was the reason most of their family ended up on this continent. Freedom from 'one' religion and freedom to 'practice any religion' is pretty much the take I have on it. This was one of the points they were very sure of from the outset if I remember right. Considering the Pilgrims, the Huguenots, the Spanish and French Catholic missions were all about religion. Georgia was probably the only colony that was founded on the basis of prison over population rather than religion. Even there though, there were some Huguenots. Some have argued the Catholics were bringing their religion and spreading it far and wide here and it wasn't a 'freedom' to worship type of deal but, in the beginning of any colony there was one 'central' religion. The one they couldn't practice in Europe. It took many years for the fervor to cool and the acceptance of others in the religious community began. The Catholics were trying to convert the "Heathen" Indians. They did that everywhere though. The Massachusetts Bay Colony was very one church fits all when it began and it began to escape the one church fits all theory in England. That's why the Winthrop Fleet set sail.
People are just so confusing and way too bossy. I do believe that's what the Founders believed and they did not want anyone to face discrimination based on their faith.
On the Second Ammendment, the militia was made up of individual citizens, who were not regular military, who worked together to protect the lives and property in their community or state. They had their own guns and were given the right to keep them at home.
Now, I don't know how long this 'right' is going to last, but those who wish to take guns away are never going to give up. As it looks now, they may be getting a real boost with these 2 new Supremes. I do hope I am wrong. Unless they rewrite the Constitution, and they may well try, the 2nd should be locked in. We know that stranger things have gotten through and anything is possible. I'm not too optimistic about the future to tell the truth. We have too many new voters coming of age who have no knowledge of this nations history or the reasons for the ammendments. They don't care. They've not had any reason to care because they assume whatever the best talking candidate says sounds good. Until the history lessons resume, with the facts, not PC additions to the lessons, we're going to be in trouble.
Pam