So I guess the words "well regulated" are meaningless.
On the contrary, the words have deep meaning, however, you are making the mistake of defining regulated in todays lexicon and not in the manner it was intended to mean in 1798.
Today regulated means controlled, but in 1798 it meant something worked well, like a clock that kept accurate time was said to be well regulated. See the difference? The militia was all able bodied men, and was intended to stop the government from turning into tyrants. Now if the government controls the militia, then the militia is not working very well is it?
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