FEATURES & ARTICLES

It is Ordered:  High Court rules on Second Amendment

by John Marler

SJS Shooting Editor

For the fist time in over two centuries the US Supreme Court has ruled on the meaning of the Second Amendment by affirming the US Court of Appeals overturning of the District of Columbia vs. Heller case. Heller argued the handgun ban in the District of Columbia violated his Second Amendment right as an American. The basic right of Americans to own and bear arms has been widely interpreted by both gun enthusiast and opposition as society weighs the value and costs of freedom. This ruling is not about owning or not owning guns, it’s about your freedom as an American. Like society, the court was divided on the meaning of the Second Amendment. Justice Scalia wrote the opinion of the court while Justice Stevens and Breyer wrote dissents in a very close 5-4 vote. Justice Scalia writes:

“In sum, we hold that the District’s ban on handgun possession in the home violates the Second Amendment, as does its prohibition against rendering any lawful firearm in the home operable for the purpose of immediate self-defense. Assuming that Heller is not disqualified from the exercise of Second Amendment rights, the District must permit him to register his handgun and must issue him a license to carry it in the home.”

“We are aware of the problem of handgun violence in this country, and we take seriously the concerns raised by the many amici who believe that prohibition of handgun ownership is a solution.”

“Undoubtedly some think that the Second Amendment is outmoded in a society where our standing army is the pride of our Nation, where well-trained police forces provide personal security, and where gun violence is a serious problem. That is perhaps debatable, but what is not debatable is that it is not the role of this Court to pronounce the Second Amendment extinct. We affirm the judgment of the Court of Appeals. It is so ordered.”

Freedom is not free – it has a cost. If our citizens are allowed to own and bear arms, there will be some that abuse this freedom and abuse their responsibility. We argue like the court, that freedoms granted by the founding fathers should not be modified to mask such abuses. Freedom comes with accountability. Those that abuse freedom need to be held accountable and even to the extent they lose their freedom. To take freedom away from all to address the abuse of a few makes no sense…

Anti-gun special interest has successfully drawn focus away from the real social issue of criminal acts to the instrument called a “Gun.” They would have you believe that guns jump up and injure people – they don’t. Special interest has so frighten the public with their ignorance rhetoric about guns that the mention of the word gun makes people uncomfortable.

We at San Juan Sportsman believe that education and accountability is the key to eliminating ignorance about guns. We suggest that increasing knowledge, developing skill and having the right attitude about firearms is the responsible path forward. We recognize that not all people will elect to own or use firearms and we accept and respect the rights of those individuals. We also recognize that firearm owners need to comply with the law and be held accountable when they do not.

The ruling by the Supreme Court is a message to all of us that a prohibition on firearms is not the solution for bad behavior. Our countries prohibition of alcohol should serve as evidence of this type of failed policy. What happened? The alcohol (instrument) didn’t go away, behaviors (ignorance) didn’t change and we criminalized freedom in the process.
 

Safe shooting…

John Marler, Certified Instructor
Shooting Editor, San Juan Sportsman