Thursday, June 26, 2008

But today, the Supreme Court shows more sense

The Court hands down a decision on gun ownership:

"The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Americans have a right to own guns for self-defense and hunting, the justices' first major pronouncement on gun rights in U.S. history. The court's 5-4 ruling struck down the District of Columbia's 32-year-old ban on handguns as incompatible with gun rights under the Second Amendment. The decision went further than even the Bush administration wanted, but probably leaves most firearms laws intact..."The basic issue for the justices was whether the amendment protects an individual's right to own guns no matter what, or whether that right is somehow tied to service in a state militia. Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for four colleagues, said the Constitution does not permit "the absolute prohibition of handguns held and used for self-defense in the home."

I think for conservatives, the important point to make when debating your political opponents on issues like this is: when the Constitution says "the people's right to bear arms"? It's not too hard to understand what that means.