Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Americans and the 2nd Amendment

On June 26, 2008 the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, confirmed that the Second Amendment right to bear arms is an individual liberty. http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/07pdf/07-290.pdf. The Court affirmed the D.C. Circuit Court ruling that overturned a Washington D.C law that severely limited the ownership of handguns and only allowed the ownership or possession of long guns if they were locked and disassembled. The Court found that these restrictions were an unconstitutional violation of a resident's Second Amendment rights. The Court rejected the idea that the Second Amendment only applies to the collective militia. While the Court protected the rights of individuals of the United States to “bear arms” from governmental infringement, it did not establish an absolute right. The government can still impose reasonable restrictions on the right to bears, with the Court providing some guidance on what might and might not be reasonable.

The National Rifle Association of America already has filed suit to reverse firearm bans in both the San Francisco and the Chicago areas. You can view the NRA’s release at http://www.nraila.org/.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation also weighed in on the Supreme Court’s monumental decision. http://www.nssf.org/news/PR_idx.cfm?PRloc=share/PR/&PR=062608.cfm.