A case brought before the court in March may lead the Supreme Court to make a ruling on the meaning of the Second Amendment. The amendment does not simply grant American citizens the right to own firearms. It 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.”
Experts have argued for many years over the exact meaning of these words. Some believe that the amendment allows ordinary citizens to own firearms. Others believe that the amendment is referring to state militias, like the National Guard.
The case brought to the court is about a 32-year-old law that prohibits citizens from owning handguns in Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court will decide whether this law violates the constitution.
It is the first time in 70 years that a case dealing with the Second Amendment has been brought before the Supreme Court.
Related Links
- Right to Bear Arms at Heart of High Court Case
Story covers the trial and the history of the argument over the meaning of the Second Amendment.
(Source: Reuters, March 11, 2008) - Gun-Rights Ruling Could Ricochet Across Nation
Covers the court case and the ramifications it could have across the United States
(Source: Chicago Tribune, March 16, 2008) - D.C. Gun Ban’s Effectiveness Questioned
Associated Press coverage of the Washington, D.C. law banning handguns that is being brought before the Supreme Court.
(Source: Associated Press, March 15, 2008)