What right does the Second Amendment guarantee?

The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms. This amendment was ratified in 1791 and is part of the Bill of Rights. It reflects a historical context in which the framers recognized the importance of a well-regulated militia for the security of a free state, as well as the individual’s right to possess weapons for self-defense and other lawful purposes.

The phrasing of the amendment emphasizes the relationship between the need for a militia and the individual's right to carry firearms, thus underpinning a broader understanding of personal liberty and self-defense. This right has been the subject of extensive legal interpretation and debate but fundamentally enshrines the ability for citizens to own and use firearms.

Other options relate to different rights protected under the Constitution, such as freedom of speech guaranteed by the First Amendment, the right to a speedy trial in the Sixth Amendment, and protection against unreasonable searches as outlined in the Fourth Amendment. Each of these rights addresses different aspects of individual liberty within the constitutional framework, but only the Second Amendment specifically guarantees the right to bear arms.