Thursday, June 26, 2008

Supreme Court Strikes Down D.C. Gun Ban, Upholds Individual Right to Keep and Bear Arms




WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Americans have a right to own guns for self-defense and hunting, the justices' first major pronouncement on gun rights in U.S. history.

The court's 5-4 ruling struck down the District of Columbia's 32-year-old ban on handguns as incompatible with gun rights under the Second Amendment. The decision went further than even the Bush administration wanted, but probably leaves most firearms laws intact.

The court had not conclusively interpreted the Second Amendment since its ratification in 1791. The amendment reads: "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."

Click here to read the full opinion on the Supreme Court Web Site.

(Amen, for some common sense. VN8)

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh, what were those justices thinking? The DC gun ban was so successful at keeping DC's streets crime and gun free! Now that law abiding citizens can legally own guns again crime will return. Tsk-tsk.

VoteNovember2008 said...

LOL, yeah right! All I know is they are going to have to take my gun out of my cold dead hands. Thank God our founding fathers had common sense. I mean that literally. Thanks for stopping by Lee. I'll email soon, things are getting better. VN8