You misunderstand, the Federal government should be small so it doesn’t get in the way of the state government doing whatever the hell it wants. Individual rights are a canard to get religious conservatives and 2A enthusiasts on board with dismantling federal protections so that state governments can oppress The Right People^TM^. Never mind that religious conservatives and 2A enthusiasts are not oppressed and their revenge fantasies are founded on an astro-turfed victim complex.