Second Amendment Stuff

The Heller Decision and the Presidential Election

Two days have passed since the Supreme Courts decision which upheld the Second Amendment as an individual right ... and the new continues.  I'll address some of the already-filed lawsuits in other posts.  For now, let's take a look at how the decision changes things for Republicans and Democrats this fall.

Those on the anti-gun side seem to think that the validation of an individual right takes away any political hay that our side might try to make.  However, it's already clear that the National Rifle Association (NRA) and other gun rights groups think otherwise.

The NRA has not stopped talking about the decision, and it appears they plan to continue on this track.  The belief is that by highlighting the case, gun owners will become motivated to help eliminate other bans in existence around the country.  The idea is that this would further clarify the positions of the anti-gun politicians around the country (mostly democrats ... but certainly not all).

There's a good piece posted at TheHill.com that takes a look the GOP's plan to keep gun rights front and center.  Check it out:

GOP hopes to keep guns in spotlight

Supreme Court Declares That the Second Amendment Guarantees an Individual Right to Keep and Bear Arms

Below is the NRA's press release regarding yesterday's Supreme Court decision which upholds an individual's right to Keep and Bear Arms.

Fairfax, VA - Leaders of the National Rifle Association (NRA) praised the Supreme Court's historic ruling overturning Washington, D.C.'s ban on handguns and on self-defense in the home, in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller.

"This is a great moment in American history. It vindicates individual Americans all over this country who have always known that this is their freedom worth protecting," declared NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre. "Our founding fathers wrote and intended the Second Amendment to be an individual right. The Supreme Court has now acknowledged it. The Second Amendment as an individual right now becomes a real permanent part of American Constitutional law."

Last year, the District of Columbia appealed a Court of Appeals ruling affirming that the Second Amendment to the Constitution guarantees an individual right to keep and bear arms, and that the District's bans on handguns, carrying firearms within the home and possession of functional firearms for self-defense violate that fundamental right.

"Anti-gun politicians can no longer deny that the Second Amendment guarantees a fundamental right," said NRA chief lobbyist Chris W. Cox. "All law-abiding Americans have a fundamental, God-given right to defend themselves in their homes. Washington, D.C. must now respect that right."

Justice Prevails - US Supreme Court Affirms Right to Keep and Bear Arms

Hallelujah!

Justice has prevailed with today's U.S. Supreme Court decision in 'District of Columbia v. Heller' to affirm the Second Amendment's right to keep and bear arms as a personal one.

We'll present more here in the days ahead.  For now, I've provided licks below to a few news stories as well as the full text of the ruling itself:

FoxNews: Supreme Court Strikes Down D.C. Gun Ban, Upholds Individual Right to Keep and Bear Arms
CNN: High court strikes down gun ban

Read the full opinion on the Supreme Court Web Site

Protect Your Right To Self-Defense

One of the most basic rights we as lawful Americans enjoy is the right to defend our families and ourselves.  The right to self-defense should not end simply because one crosses an invisible boundary line and enters a national park or wildlife refuge.

This is the current, dangerous situation that will continue to exist, however, if you don’t take action right now.

The U.S. Department of the Interior has issued a proposed rule to eliminate, once and for all, this prohibition on Right-to-Carry in national parks and wildlife refuges. The National Rifle Association is leading the effort to change this policy and we are very close to winning this important battle.

These new rules cannot take effect until after a period of public comment. And make no mistake; our opponents are aggressively ramping up their efforts to try to convince the Secretary of the Interior to reverse his decision.

To combat this effort, you must take a few moments to submit comments on this issue by June 30, 2008, by going to this web site:

http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=SubmitComment&o=090000648053d497.

Your comments will have the most impact if you use your own words. To assist you in drafting your comments, keep the following points in mind:

• Rules on carrying and transporting firearms should be consistent-across the board-with the laws of the state that includes the national park or wildlife refuge;
• Law-abiding citizens should not be prohibited from protecting themselves and their families while enjoying America's national parks and wildlife refuges;
• The new rules should provide uniformity across all federal lands, eliminating the patchwork of laws that create confusion for gun owners;
• Current regulations fail to account for the significant change in state laws since 1984.  48 states now have laws that permit laws that permit carrying and 40 have strong Right-to-Carry laws.  Federal regulations should recognize the change in state laws and follow their lead, and;
• The new regulations should restore the rights of law-abiding gun owners who wish to transport and carry firearms for all lawful purposes on most DOI lands, just as they do now on Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands   

Remember, all comments must be received by June 30.  Submit your comments TODAY!

Please share this information with your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners and encourage them to act on this issue RIGHT AWAY by sending comments of their own!

Brady Adds To Post-Heller Agenda

Last week, when Brady Campaign’s president, Paul Helmke, told ABC News that the group expects the Supreme Court to issue a pro-Second Amendment ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller, he tried to put his best anti-gun spin on things, saying “this could be good from the standpoint of the political-legislative side.”

Brady Center attorney Dennis Henigan revealed Helmke’s plan in more detail, saying that if the Court rules that the Second Amendment protects an individual, private Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and that D.C.’s gun bans are unconstitutional, it will help anti-gun groups push for a ban on private firearm sales, a ban on “assault weapons,” a limit on the number of guns a person can buy, and similar measures.

This week, Brady telegraphed yet another issue it intends to push after the Heller decision: tightening the requirements to obtain a federal firearms license (FFL). Sen. Barack Obama has already come out for prohibiting gun dealers within five miles of a school or park, which would eliminate most dealers, and Brady wants to do its part to eliminate any who may be left standing.

It's clear we must all remain vigilant against their ever-increasing attacks on our liberties.

Americans Believe The Second Amendment Guarantees An Individual Right To Keep And Bear Arms

Once again confirming what we already know, a recent Harris poll (taken May 5,-May 12, 2008) found that, by a margin of more than two-to-one, U.S. adults believe that the Second Amendment to the Constitution guarantees an individual’s Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

This is no surprise.  In fact, the Harris poll results are similar to a March, 2008 Gallup poll and a December, 2007 CNN/Opinion Research Corporation telephone poll, which both found that Americans overwhelmingly support firearm rights and gun ownership, and believe that the Second Amendment affirms an individual Right to Bear Arms.

Other recent polls have also shown that Americans support gun rights.  A Zogby International poll for Associated Television News, conducted in December 2007 found 27 percent of voters would be more likely to support a candidate endorsed by NRA (through its PAC, NRA Political Victory Fund).  And another Zogby International poll, conducted earlier in 2007, found that 66 percent of the American voting public rejects the idea that new gun control laws are needed.

As we anticipate this month’s ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller, the results of this latest poll make clear where the vast majority of Americans stand:  the Second Amendment is an individual right.