Gun Control and Gun Rights
The Second Amendment to the Constitution, which concerns the right to bear arms, is always a hot-button issue, especially during election season. Gun rights and gun control groups alike have been lobbying Congress for decades to craft legislation in their respective favors. Twice in the past two years the gun issue has reached the nation’s highest court. In the 2008 Supreme Court case District of Columbia v. Heller the court ruled that the Constitution protects an individual’s right to own a gun for personal use. But the 5-4 decision only applied to federal laws and failed to address local and state laws. Thus, in July 2010 the Supreme Court ruled that the federal right to bear arms also applies at the state and local level. The ruling lifted a nearly 30-year-old Chicago gun ban. The National Rifle Association called the ruling a landmark, but the decision did not specify what kind of gun laws can be applied to the Second Amendment. “The real challenge is going to be getting law-abiding citizens access to it,” said NRA Vice President Wayne LaPierre after the ruling. Both gun rights and gun control groups will likely continue to lobby Congress on this issue to either blunt or sharpen the ruling.
The latest news on Gun Control and Gun Rights
Openly carrying a hand cannon may prevent a criminal from attacking.
Open carry is dangerous to the very foundation of our democracy.
People who choose to live in peace have the right not to be exposed to weapons and violence.
Open carry increases the risk that someone will be injured or killed.
There is nothing wrong about openly carrying a firearm in a peaceable manner.
Open carry is very much in keeping with the framers' view of the constitutional right to bear arms.
The purpose of public display is to show people that guns are not a threat to the lawful.
Handguns do not serve as deterrents but rather consistently threaten our safety.
It is amazing how friendly people are when standing next to an obviously armed person.
Relatively minor items on ALEC's agenda have been twisted into the very ugly charge of racism.
