"If the Second Amendment only applies to muskets,…

In discussing the Bill of Rights, some people say that the Second Amendment (right to bear arms) implied muskets, and not modern weapons. Gun advocates have countered this argument by discussing the First Amendment (freedom of speech), which implied printing presses and not the internet.

“If the 2nd Amendment applies only to muskets then the 1st only applies to newspapers, posters, handbills and the spoken word. #GunControl” was posted on Twitter by greenmeanie on July 31, 2012. “@NRA If the 2nd amendment only applies to muskets, then the 1st dosent apply to the radio, TV, or the Internet #guncontrolisadisease” was posted on Twitter by Tactiler Van Whig on August 3, 2012. “so if the 2a only applies to muskets then the 1a must only apply to quill pens and antique printing presses” wwas posted on Twitter by ge0 on September 9, 2012.

“If the second amendment only applies to muskets, does the first amendment only apply to the printing press?” was posted on Twitter by Eric Brakey on January 10, 2013. “If the 2nd Amendment applies only to muskets, the 1st Amendment applies only to wooden printing presses” was posted on Twitter by David Burge on June 13, 2016. “If the Second Amendment only applies to muskets, then the First only applies to handwritten letters and newspapers” was posted on Twitter by Young Americans for Liberty on January 26, 2022.

Twitter
greenmeanie
@greenmeanie01
If the 2nd Amendment applies only to muskets then the 1st only applies to newspapers, posters, handbills and the spoken word. #GunControl
10:35 AM · Jul 31, 2012·Twitter for iPhone

Twitter
Tactiler Van Whig
@noddablog
@NRA If the 2nd amendment only applies to muskets, then the 1st dosent apply to the radio, TV, or the Internet #guncontrolisadisease
1:25 AM · Aug 3, 2012·Twitter for iPhone

Twitter
ge0
@11b2p
Replying to @Missjayette
@Missjayette @calumetorg @csgv so if the 2a only applies to muskets then the 1a must only apply to quill pens and antique printing presses.
4:06 PM · Sep 9, 2012·Twitter for iPhone

Twitter
Leroy Whitby
@LeroyWhitby
If the 2nd amendment applies only to muskets then does the 1st only apply to quill pens?
2:05 PM · Dec 5, 2012·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
john ralston
@5ShotLeather
@piersmorgan - if the 2A applies only to muskets, does the 1A apply only to quill and parchment?
7:05 PM · Dec 7, 2012·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
Jordan LaPorta
@JordanLaPorta
If the second amendment only applies to muskets, then clearly the first amendment does not cover TV, talk radio, or the internet #getreal
1:12 AM · Dec 4, 2012·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
Peter McCaffrey
@peteremcc
If the second amendment only applies to muskets, does the first amendment only apply to the printing press?
9:19 PM · Dec 14, 2012·Tweetbot for Mac

Twitter
Lord Woodstone (Toss all MAPS out the airlock)
@EricMertz_KC
If the 2nd amendment only applies to muskets, the first only applies to printing presses http://fxn.ws/Vw8yuq via
@foxnewspolitics
11:47 AM · Jan 3, 2013·Twitter for Websites

Twitter
Eric Brakey
@SenatorBrakey
If the second amendment only applies to muskets, does the first amendment only apply to the printing press? #mepolitics #guncontrol
8:03 PM · Jan 10, 2013·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
David Burge
@iowahawkblog
If the 2nd Amendment only applies to muskets, then the 1st Amendment only applies to Town Criers.
11:53 AM · Jan 12, 2013·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
David Burge
@iowahawkblog
If the 2nd Amendment applies only to muskets, the 1st Amendment applies only to wooden printing presses.
Quote Tweet
The Washington Post
@washingtonpost
· Jun 13, 2016
The men who wrote the 2nd amendment would never recognize an AR-15 http://wapo.st/1Om7CJC
5:02 PM · Jun 13, 2016·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
The Libertarian Republic
@TheLibRepublic
If the 2nd Amendment Only Applies to Muskets, Does the 1st Only Apply to Printing Presses? http://bit.ly/1tAJaLz #guncontrolplease #tcot
2:53 PM · Jun 17, 2016·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
Jeffrey Taylor
@JeffreyinCA
Replying to @susanherzberg and @SenateDems
If the 2nd Amendment applies only to muskets, the 1st Amendment applies only to wooden printing presses?
5:55 PM · Jun 21, 2016·Twitter for Windows

Twitter
WizardOfSteel
@Wizardofsteel
Replying to @donteatthesnow @KlausHeid and 2 others
Yeah if the Bill of Rights only applies to muskets then why are we still speaking and writing in Old English of the 1st Amendment???
(The following text is shown on an image.—ed.)
IF THE 2ND AMENDMENT
ONLY APPLIES TO MUSKETS
DOES THE 1ST AMENDMENT ONLY
APPLY TO THE PRINTING PRESS?
2:04 AM · Oct 12, 2017·Twitter Web Client

Reddit—Conservative
Posted by u/yoxgzgjzgzgzf November 6, 2017
if the Second Amendment only applies to muskets. Then your first amendment only applies to the printing press
If dems want to go there

Twitter
Iraqveteran8888
@Iraqveteran8888
If the 2nd Amendment only applies to muskets, that means the 1st Amendment only applies to a quill and paper. #ericsaidit
9:44 AM · Aug 24, 2020·Twitter for iPhone

Twitter
Young Americans for Liberty
@YALiberty
If the Second Amendment only applies to muskets, then the First only applies to handwritten letters and newspapers.
(“TECHNOLOGY CHANGES, RIGHTS DON’T” is shown on an image.—ed.)
5:00 PM · Jan 26, 2022·HubSpot

“If the Second Amendment only applies to muskets, does the First only apply to printing presses?”