Cato Scholar Comments on the Supreme Court Agreeing to Hear the D.C. Gun Ban Case

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Robert A. Levy, senior fellow in constitutional studies:

For the first time in nearly 70 years, the Supreme Court has agreed to examine the meaning of the Second Amendment. That's good news for all Americans who would like to be able to defend themselves where they live and sleep. And it's especially good news for residents of Washington, D.C., which has been the murder capital of the nation despite an outright ban on all functional firearms since 1976.

The case is District of Columbia v. Heller. It's not about machine guns or so-called assault weapons or concealed carry. It's about the right to possess ordinary, garden variety handguns in the home for self-defense. Proponents of gun control have not been persuaded by the text of the Second Amendment; by the history, purpose, and structure of the Constitution; by the intent of the Framers; or even by empirical studies proving that gun control does not work. The enactment of anti-gun regulations has become an article of faith. In March of this year, after 31 years, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington told the District of Columbia government that it may not ignore Second Amendment rights. Hopefully, the Supreme Court will agree.

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