Decoding the gun rights debates: How do the founding-era legislative debates and contemporary media and legislators frame the Second Amendment of the United States?

Gun rights have long been a central point of debate in American socio-legal and political discourse, particularly over whether the Second Amendment of the Constitution ensures an individual right to gun ownership or a collective right linked to forming a militia for state security. This study examines the shift in the framing of the Second Amendment from the founding era to the present, focusing on legislative debates and New York Times articles from 1980 to June 2024. Using hand coding and the NVivo 14 content analysis tool, it explores how the interpretation has shifted over time. Findings reveal that the founding-era discourse emphasizes collective security and rights through state-sanctioned militias, while contemporary discourse increasingly emphasizes individual rights amid rising gun-related incidents. The study further delves into historical gazettes to trace the evolution of Second Amendment interpretations and how this shifting interpretation ultimately impacts public life, public safety, and the criminal justice system. This study bridges the founding era legislative intent with contemporary realities to inform ongoing debates on gun rights and reform.