The West Wing, Season Two

Republican:
Why when the Second Amendment clearly says that the federal government will not infringe upon citizen's right to keep and bear arms.

Toby:
Because it doesn't say that. In fact it doesn't say that at all. The only way it says that is if you remove some words from it. It says "a well regulated militia being necessary for the security of a free state, the government shall not infringe." The words "well regulated" and "militia" are in the first sentence. I don't think the framers were thinking of three guys in a Dodge Durango.

Republican:
You don't really know what the framers were thinking do you?

Toby:
No. But I know that if you combine all the populations of Great Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, and Australia you'll get a population roughly the size of the United States. We had 32,000 gun deaths last year, they had 112. Do you think it's because Americans are more homicidal by nature or do you think it's because those guys have gun control laws?