Our Founding Fathers on Guns
From the 2nd Amendment of
the United States Constitution: 

"A well Regulated Militia,
being necessary to the security
of a free state. The right of the
people to keep and bare arms
shall not be infringed."

 Thomas Jefferson: "Laws that forbid the carrying of arms...disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes...Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man." Quoting 18th Century criminologist Cesare Beccaria in On Crimes and Punishment (1764.)
Thomas Jefferson: "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." Proposed Virginia Constitution (1776,) Jefferson Papers 344, (J. Boyd, ed. 1950.)
Benjamin Franklin: "They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Historical Review of Pennsylvania, (1759.)
John Adams: "Arms in the hands of individual citizens may be used at individual discretion... in private self defence." A Defense of the U.S. Constitutions of Government of the United States of America (1787-88.)  Richard Henry Lee: "A militia when properly formed is in fact the people themselves...and include all men capable of bearing arms...To preserve liberty it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms..." Additional Letters From the Federal Farmer 53 (1788.)
James Madison: The Constitution preserves "the advantage of being armed which Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation...(where) the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms." The Federalist #46. George Mason: "I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people...to disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them." During Virginia's ratification convention, (1788.) 
Thomas Paine: "...arms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property... Horrid mischief would ensue were the law-abiding deprived of the use of them." Thoughts on Defensive War, (1775.) Samuel Adams: "The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms." During Massachusetts' U.S. Constitution Ratification Convention, (1788.)
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