Posted on 06/16/2008 10:13:58 AM PDT by neverdem
Most Americans believe that owning a gun is the right of every citizen. According to a Gallup poll, 73 percent of the U.S. public believe that the Second Amendment guarantees individuals the right to gun ownership. Therefore the Heller decision, which is expected any day now, could play a pivotal role in the 2008 presidential campaign. Former Ohio Secretary of State-turned-pundit Kenneth Blackwell calls it "the Roe v. Wade" of gun rights and suggests that the case (and its results) will ripple beyond District borders to impact "90 million American gun owners."
It was six D.C. residents, fed up with escalating crime and the inability to protect themselves in they city they love, who filed suit in 2003 to challenge the constitutionality of the District's ban on handguns. The lawsuit was dismissed but reversed on appeal by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which found that the petitioner: 1) had standing to bring the lawsuit, 2) is protected by the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms (handguns) and 3) therefore, the District "is not open to ban them."
Last year, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty failed in his petition to rehear the appeal, paving the way for both defendant and plantiffs to petition the Supreme Court. That brings us to where we are today, in the midst of a presidential election when opinions on every matter are measured at every turn and the issue of "gun rights" is beginning to weave its way in and out of the political debate.
Generally speaking, more gun owners identify as Republicans (53 percent) than identify as Democrats (39 percent), according to Gallup. And a Harris poll...
--snip--
The Gallup poll cited also found that the majority of Americans don't actually own a firearm (only 35 percent say they do)...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Drat. It appears that the Washington Times gave up on printer friendly versions.
Wait till the SCOTUS gets finished with this ruling. The geriatric liberal justices are desperate to leave their mark on society before they croak and are really on a leftwing tear.
If the Second Ammendment is such a big question concerning gun ownership, why not re-write it and spell it out before the left has a chance to kill all our rights? This would then take it out of the hands of the Supreme Court.
The language of the 2nd amendment seems pretty plain and clear.
I hope the court will find that we do have a right to keep and bear arms. The amendment says so. Liberals continally parse language and confuse issues by so doing. If they are intellectually honest, they would start a movement to repeal the 2nd amendment. Just saying, all of us who can read know what it means, and they should be honest enough to say they don’t want the people to be armed.
I might add to clarify what the article says: Many more people own guns, but do not admit to it, because of negative social presure in some cases, and to remain low-profile in case of eventual banning/confiscation by the Fed.gov, in other cases.
Roe V Wade created new law from nothing.
RKBA is pre-existing, explicitly stated, and not subject to negotiation.
The real question in Heller is: will the gov't cooperate with the rules? If not, neither will others ... with grave consequences.
If you purchased a gun in a gun store...they KNOW who you are. To think otherwise is false comfort.
Those guns in the picture are the sorriest looking pieces I have ever seen. I wonder if they weren’t confiscated from DC residents.
Other than the bound book, how would they know?
They don’t take copies of the book during inspections do they?
Bank on it...
Wasn't this the Amicus that stated RKBA was Individual, but that Fed Legislation should still be held "Constitutional"?
(Han Solo) "I've got a bad feeling about this..." (/Han Solo)
How did the cop who stopped me know I had a CCW permit without me telling him?
Most Americans believe that owning a gun is the right of every citizen. According to a Gallup poll, 73 percent of the U.S. public believe that the Second Amendment guarantees individuals the right to gun ownership.
WHY DOES IT MATTER WHAT A POLL SAYS.
THE ADMENDMENT IS THERE. IN THE CONSTITUTION.
IT, THE ADMENDMENT, CLEARLY STATES ITS INTENT THAT THE CITIZENS OF THE NATION SHOULD HAVE THEIR RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS.
NOT TO HUNT -NEVER MENTIONED, NOT FOR PROTECTION - NEVER MENTIONED, SIMPLY AS A RIGHT. ONE ONLY NEED TO READ A LITTLE HISTORY TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE FOUNDERS THOUGHT THIS THE 2ND MOST IMPORTANT RIGHT. THEY KNEW WITHOUT ARMS THEY WOULD NEVER HAVE DEFEATED THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT. THEY KNEW, FROM HISTORY, THAT NO PEOPLE HAD EVER GAINED THEIR FREEDOM WITHOUT FORCES OF ARMS. THEY KNEW FROM HISTORY THAT THE MOST POPULAR WAY TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM BEING FREE WAS TO KEEP THEM UNARMED.
tHESE SIMPLE TRUTHS YOUR GOVERNMENT QND COURTS NOW WANT YOU TO FORGET OR NOT SEE.
NEVER ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN. IF YOU DO IT WILL NOT BE THE LAST RIGHT YOU LOSE...........
Those are the only versions I link to emails. I hate all the advertising crap on the main pages.
Are you kidding? It would be re-written so as to say that gun ownership is illegal. The "Constitution is a living breathing document" mantra is a bunch of crap. Leave it alone.
Bingo!
Very true. Most of my shooting buddies do not admit to firearms ownership outside of our group.
It is, until the SCOTUS has at it.
I hope the court will find that we do have a right to keep and bear arms. The amendment says so.
And that should be enough, in fact up until now it has been enough.
Liberals continally parse language and confuse issues by so doing.
Exactly what Supreme Court justices do best.
Whatever they say will thereafter have the force of law, and you know they cannot add to the rights in the Second Amendment. They can only subtract from them.
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