Is Gun Ownership a Right?

[stanc]

I would venture that women were part of the "unorganized" militia...

Since women were not required to serve in the organized militia, I see no logical reason to conclude that women were considered part of the unorganized militia.

...free blacks were part of the militia.

Some free black men were members of organized militias, but (like white women) they were not required to serve.

Only ~8% of the black population was free. The other 92% were slaves generally denied the right to keep and bear.

The Militia Act of 1792 makes it very clear that the Founders wanted the militias composed solely of free white men.

So, YES, the whole "free" population was part of the militia.

The facts do not support that conclusion. Plus, Mason did not qualify his statement by saying the militia was "the whole free population." He said it was "the whole people," which it clearly was not.

That is, unless by "the whole people" what Mason actually meant was free white men...