US Supreme Court to Take Shot at Gun Law Ban

Pro-gun conservatives everywhere should pay close attention to the Supreme Court’s decision to take a case filed by several residents of Washington, DC, who are demanding the gun control law in the city be revised so they can purchase handguns to protect themselves from growing gun violence.

A decision could be made smack dab in the middle of the 2008 political season -- in the spring or summer of next year -- making it a prime case for discussion as the battle for president is at its boiling point.

The city’s 31-year-old gun laws were ruled unconstitutional in March by a federal appeals court on the grounds they violated the second amendment, the “right of the people to keep and bear arms.” It was the first time a court has used the second amendment to find a gun law unconstitutional. The issue in this case is whether the second amendment refers to individuals or militias. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the individual, the gun laws likely will be loosened. If the high court applies the second amendment to groups of people such as state militias, the gun laws would be subject to strict government oversight.

The court’s ruling could have far-reaching ramifications, and gun advocates everywhere should be sure to get involved in the political process now if they want their voice to be heard if the court’s ruling calls for upholding the District of Columbia's hand-gun ban.