Posted by
Tzimisce on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 3:49:49 PM
The Second Amendment might be going on trial at the Supreme Court. It seems that Congress passed a law banning guns in Washington D.C. (though you'd never know it by the violent crime rates.)
Here is what the Second Amendment says:
"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."
...the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. You can't get much more clear than that. But leave it to a bunch of political hacks to try.
District of Columbia Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975 is that act that was struck down in a 2 to 1 ruling in the D.C. circuit court. The provision in question made it illegal to own side arms in the District of Columbia.
Obviously this is an infringement of the right to keep and bear arms. The Congress of the United States passed a law that violates the supreme law of the land. There is absolutely no question about it.
It's rather offensive that this even had to go to court to begin with. Surely politicians with even the most meager education can read the Second amendment and figure out what it says.
This is scary on many, many levels. I've often joked that I was waiting for some judge somewhere to begin declaring parts of the Constitution unconstitutional. I just never thought it would be so close.