Allen: The Supreme Court will rule on gun rights (Insight Report)
Thursday, March 6th, 2008Insight Report (Insight Report)
Do we the people have the individual right to own guns?
That is question before the U.S. Supreme Court on March 18 in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller. This case directly challenges the District of Columbia’s ban on handguns. In 1976, D.C. officials imposed a strict gun-ban law to supposedly curb increasing gun violence. But security guard Dick Anthony Heller believes he has a right to keep a handgun in his home and filed a lawsuit against the District. U.S. courts so far have agreed with Heller and ruled that the Second Amendment “protects an individual right to keep and bear arms … for such activities as hunting and self-defense.” D.C. officials have appealed the decision to the Supreme Court.
Heller is the first pure Second Amendment case the U.S. Supreme Court has heard since the landmark United States v. Miller case in 1939. In that case, the court found—perhaps because Miller himself was not represented in the court—that there was no evidence that the defendant’s possession of a short-barreled shotgun was related to the purposes of the Second Amendment. Unfortunately, the Miller decision has been misinterpreted by lower courts as indicating that Second Amendment rights are not meant for individuals but for State militias such as the National Guard.
D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty believes that only more violence will ensue if the Heller ruling is upheld. However, guns do not kill or rob people; criminals do. Criminals intent on misusing firearms and committing violent crimes such as murder, rape or robbery simply ignore such “gun-free zones” and are free to assault undefended people. Violent criminals prefer their victims to be unarmed. We have seen this throughout the country; D.C. presents daily examples of this criminal behavior.
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March 7th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Great minds think alike:
‘‘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.’’
— Jefferson’s “Commonplace Book,” 1774-1776, quoting from On Crimes and Punishment, by criminologist Cesare Beccaria, 1764
A few other good statements made by fellow Virginians:
“Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people’s liberty teeth and keystone under independence … The very atmosphere of firearms everywhere restrains evil interference - they deserve a place of honor with all that is good” - George Washington
“…to disarm the people - that was the best and most effectual way to enslave them.” - George Mason
“the ultimate authority … resides in the people alone,” - James Madison
and last but not least…
“Are we at last brought to such humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our defense? Where is the difference between having our arms in possession and under our direction, and having them under the management of Congress? If our defense be the real object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?” - Patrick Henry
March 13th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
el Tormentor - muchas gracias for inspiring quotes from the founders of our free Republic. These sentiments are eternal and should be used in arguments before the US Supreme Court on March 18. -George Allen