In reference to "Rights are for individuals, no longer only for states" (July 7), a better reference to use is Founders' View of the Right to Bear Arms by David E. Young. Pennsylvania had individual rights protection in its state constitution during the revolutionary era, including right to bear arms and without reference to the militia. Ratification of the U.S. Constitution was delayed until the first 10 amendments , the Bill of Rights, were added, and only then was it acceptable to get enough votes from the states. Individual rights had already been protected from the state government in each state's constitution, so the purpose of the Bill of Rights was to prevent laws made by the federal government from preempting that protection of individual rights in state constitutions.

And our government had to have the 14th Amendment to "incorporate" the individual rights protections against the states?

Joseph L. Arp

Cortland, OH