Banjoest, and others, the specific intent of the 2nd Article of the Bill of Rights is to assure that there is an armed citizenry available when the militia needs to be called out. Thats why it starts out by saying "a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state" before it goes on to state "the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." That's the entire thing-the words "self defense" do not appear anywhere in it.