What does the Second Amendment protect for American citizens?

The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution specifically protects the right of American citizens to keep and bear arms. This amendment was adopted in 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights and reflects the framers' intention to ensure that individuals have the ability to possess weapons for their personal defense and, historically, to maintain a well-regulated militia. The language of the amendment emphasizes both the individual right to own firearms and the collective right of the people to form militias.

The other choices refer to different rights that are also protected by amendments in the Bill of Rights, but they do not pertain to the Second Amendment. For instance, free speech is safeguarded by the First Amendment, while the right to practice any religion is likewise addressed in the First Amendment. Similarly, the right to fair legal representation is established under the Sixth Amendment. Each of these rights is important to the fabric of American democracy, but they are explicitly protected under different amendments than the Second Amendment, which focuses solely on the right to keep and bear arms.