Gun battle decided (or begins) today
June 26th, 2008 10:05 am · 4 comments
So … how’s your “well-regulated militia” these days?
The Supreme Court is expected to rule today on whether the District of Columbia’s ban on handguns violates the second amendment. At issue is whether the divisive Second Amendment guarantees an individual’s right to carry firearms or does it only reserve the privilege for “militias.” And what did the Founders intend when they wrote the words, “well-regulated?” Sounds to some like a license for government control over gun ownership.
Check back later today.
Update: The Court struck down the gun ban by a 5-4 vote. Anxious to see the opinions and whether this means all-out gun bans are unconstitutional or can municipalities and states still impose regulations.
Update: Seems like the majority - and you can guess who that was on the Court - decided that total bans on firearms like the one in D.C. went too far against the Constitution, but according to some reports I’m seeing, the door is open for “regulation,” which means we have generations of arguments over this issue to come.
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Tags: Supreme Court · Issues: Guns
There are currently 4 comments on this blog postView Topic | Comment on this blogRural Conservative
6/26/08
12:12 PM | QUOTE(Lancaster Online @ Jun 26 2008, 10:10 AM) [snapback]405251[/snapback]
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Where did the militias of the revolutionary era come from? The answer is given further along in the second ammendment, and it is; the people. Had the people not had firearms, they would have had no way to fight for their freedom. The militias were not as "well regulated" as many would have us believe. They were farmers, some ex-soldiers from the French and Indian war, Craftsmen, millers, etc., from among the populace, who had very little formal training in the use of their antiquated muskets, but what they lacked in training, they made up for in heart and experience.
Should there be regulation of firearm ownership? Perhaps not in the way it has been interpreted. I am all for inexpensive licensing of gun owners (even for a rifle). We have to get a license to drive a car (and the number of persons killed by cars each year is staggering compared to the number of people killed by firearms) so why not for a firearm. Firearms are dangerous, and, unlike cars, they are designed so they may be used to kill should it become necessary. Therefore, it makes sense that one should be tested in essential firearm safety, as well as have a complete criminal record check (including juvenile records), prior to recieving a license to own a firearm; however, once the license is obtained, all types of firearms should be allowable, including so-called assault weapons. I say "so-called" since the definition changes depending on the anti-gun nut.
One needs only to look at history to see the context in which the framers of the Constitution were viewing the words of the document.
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littledutchboy
6/26/08
12:22 PM | Remember the red coats marched on Concord to confiscate stored firearms. Registration of firearms means the red coats will march on our homes and apartments for our firearms.
Most of my firearms are “off” the books and will remain off the books!
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davepidgeon
6/26/08
3:39 PM | The militias were organized as volunteer regiments for the Continental Congress. They had officers, chains of command, organization and under the purview of Congress. That doesn't mean they weren't a bunch of ragtag farmers with minimal military training, but they were "regulated." |
grieker
6/26/08
4:02 PM | QUOTE(littledutchboy @ Jun 26 2008, 12:22 PM) [snapback]405296[/snapback] Remember the red coats marched on Concord to confiscate stored firearms. Registration of firearms means the red coats will march on our homes and apartments for our firearms.
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[size="3"]Most of my firearms are "off" the books and will remain off the books!
Here, here. None of my "collection" are on the books.
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