Everybody always rails about how cut and dried the "shall not be infringed" part is but pretends the "well regulated" part doesn't need to be considered.
Let's not pick and choose what part of the 2A we want. It is one sentence, as it was intended.
A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
That is not written leniently or for interpretation. It is very clearly written in plain english. Let's break it down:
"A well regulated militia"
At the time a militia was a military unit formed of citizens that was not controlled by the government, but stood as a civilian defense. That means your neighbors and friends who share a common cause. That does NOT mean the national guard or the Army. Militia has never refered to government controlled forces, not then, not now.
"Being necessary to the security of a free state"
This means that the point of the militias is to keep the (state or the people) safe from anything that would threaten their freedom. If you read any of the writings of the founding fathers, you will know that what they are refering to is defending your state or community against a federal government gone tyranical.
"the right of the people"
Right meaning unalienable right given to us by our creator. People meaning everyone, just like every other time "the people" is mentioned in the constitution.
"To keep and bear arms"
Meaning to own and carry whatever weapons are available. Arms means weapons and in common usage refers to whatever is modern and used by the standing army.
"Shall not be infringed"
Shall not is pretty self explanatory. It is the firmest statement that one can make. That is why "shall not" appears in the 10 commandments. These words were carefully chosen to show how important it was that this was not mistaken for "should not" or "prefferably won't", but stood for the word of God saying "no" in the harshest of tones. "Shall Not" is the most firm and powerful stance that can be taken. Be infringed, meaning be messed with, be regulated, be governed in any way.
SO to put it into modern easy to understand terms...
"To protect the freedom of the people from tyrany, the people must be able to form their own militias, and to do that they must not be regulated in their ownership or possession of weapons in any way."
That is exactly what the 2nd amendment means, and the only reason that it is not written in my words is because the language it is written in was the harshest and most clear way to say the same thing in the 1700s.
It takes a very active imagination to believe that the 2nd amendment means anything else. And besides, the supreme court has upheld that the 2nd amendment is an individual right, so there is no point in arguing against this.