I certainly hope that Harold Evans knows more about the twentieth century than he apparently does about the eighteenth. The term “well regulated” does not refer to governmental supervision. Rather, it means “effective,” or “well practiced.” Viewed from this perspective, it does tend to give the Second Amendment a different meaning from what Mr. Evans espouses. He then concludes that the people have a right to bear arms, but not “sawed-off shotguns, machine guns, and other means of mayhem our day may contrive.” In fact, short-barreled (read: sawed-off) shotguns have been used in virtually every war this country has fought.