U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Gun Ban
The U.S. Supreme Court in a 5-4 ruling today invalidated the nation’s strictest gun law. In D.C. v. Heller (opinion), the high court said the District of Columbia’s 32-year-old ban on handguns violated the Second Amendment, which holds that “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.”
Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the majority, said the Second Amendment does not permit “the absolute prohibition of handguns held and used for self-defense in the home.”
Justice John Paul Stevens wrote a dissent, which was joined by Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and David Souter. Stevens said the majority “would have us believe that over 200 years ago, the Framers made a choice to limit the tools available to elected officials wishing to regulate civilian uses of weapons.”
ACS Resources
- Blogpost commentary: Supreme Court Should Have Deferred to D.C. Legislature (June 2008)
- Blogpost review: First Thoughts on Heller (June 2008)
- Blogpost preview: The Second Amendment: The Middle Path Leads Over a Cliff (June 2008)
- Panel discussion: The Smoking Gun: Interpreting the Second Amendment (June 2008)
- Blog debate: A Week of Second Amendment Arguments: Professors Winkler and Tushhnet
- Panel discussion: The Second Amendment in the Supreme Court (March 2008)
- Blogpost preview: Praying for a Second Shot on the Second Amendment (March 2008)
Reactions
Updated: 6/26/2008 at 4:20 PM
Written By:Rob On June 26, 2008 11:35 PM
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So lets make it work this way: you want a gun, you join the military. In fact, lets solve several problems. Right out of high school, all students, the rich included need to serve a two year stint in their home states National Guard unit. Learn the war games, all that type stuff as well as disaster responses. Then, after the two years, a third year in the Peace Corp.. After that third year, they have the choice of taking their issued weapons, which I believe these days are a side arm in the .45 or 9mm caliber range, and and AR 16.
After this third year, all schooling is on the government. Also, if in any year they fail to maintain a satisfactory shooting standard skill, they must turn their weapon in. If they so choose, they can stay in the military as a career.
It solves many problems from crime prevention to military readiness and disaster response(think Katrina) and develops a citizenry that would be outstanding people. Particularly if they pursue a free education which would again put America in the place of schooling the bst minds on the planet.