2nd Amendment: The Right to Bear Arms
The second amendment is one of the most important amendments to me. This is because it protects the right for a citizen to bear firearms. I enjoy many outdoor activities, including hunting. Without the second amendment, I would not be able to enjoy this hobby which helps put food on the table the majority of the time. We will be looking at the District of Columbia v. Heller court case.
Do the D.C. Codes 7-2502.02(a)(4), 22-4504(a), and 7-2507.02 violate the 2nd Amendment’s right for individuals not associated with military of any kind (U.S. military or state regulated military), but want to keep handguns and/or other firearms for private use in their homes?
The verdict was that the D.C. Codes on gun restriction were unconstitutional. it was held that “The handgun ban and the trigger-lock requirement (as applied to self-defense) violate the Second Amendment. The District’s total ban on handgun possession in the home amounts to a prohibition on an entire class of “arms” that Americans overwhelmingly choose for the lawful purpose of self-defense. Under any of the standards of scrutiny the Court has applied to enumerated constitutional rights, this prohibition-in the place where the importance of the lawful defense of self, family, and property is most acute-would fail constitutional muster. Similarly, the requirement that any lawful firearm in the home be disassembled or bound by a trigger lock makes it impossible for citizens to use arms for the core lawful purpose of self-defense and is hence unconstitutional. Because Heller conceded at oral argument that the D. C. licensing law is permissible if it is not enforced arbitrarily and capriciously, the Court assumes that a license will satisfy his prayer for relief and does not address the licensing requirement. Assuming he is not disqualified from exercising Second Amendment rights, the District must permit Heller to register his handgun and must issue him a license to carry it in the home.” This means that the supreme court found it to be unconstitutional for the District of Columbia to ban the citizens within D.C. to have a handgun in their private residency.
I agree with this ruling because to take away a person’s mode of self-defense is to take away freedom and safety. The 2nd amendment is the right to bear arms, not the right for military personnel to bear arms, just the right to bear arms. The ability to have a handgun is key to self defense. this was noted in the court case by a graphical representation which says that people who owned firearms and were robbed were 27% less likely to be injured during a robbery.
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- The District of Columbia v. Heller
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- Man expressing his right to bear arms
Sources:
www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/07pdf/07-290.
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_of_Columbia_v._Heller
