The right to bear arms is protected by the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. It states, "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". This amendment has sparked considerable debate regarding its intended scope, with some interpreting it as creating an individual constitutional right to possess firearms, while others argue that it was intended to restrict Congress from legislating away a states right to self-defense. The Second Amendment was passed by Congress on September 25, 1789, and ratified on December 15, 1791, as part of the Bill of Rights.