a historic court case involving gun rights which was decided along party lines that will have election implications for Obama and McCain
In an extraordinary decision issued today by the Supreme Court, the court ruled in its 5-4 decision that the district of Columbia could not regulate hand guns and prevent people in the district of Columbia from owning guns in their homes. (NY Times)
In the case handed down by the Supreme Court, the majority of Scalia, Roberts, Thomas, Alito and Kennedy declared in the majority opinion,
"the Constitution does not allow "the absolute prohibition of handguns held and used for self-defense in the home." "- NY Times cited
However, Scalia wrote, "It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose. The court’s opinion should not be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms."
In the dissent written by justice Stevens, he declared "the majority would have us believe that over 200 years ago, the framers made a choice to limit the tools available to elected officials wishing to regulate civilian uses of weapons."
the 2nd amendment right to own a gun has not been decided by the Supreme Court since a previous ruling in 1939. The historic court case came up when the the Distrcit of Columbia said that residents had to disassemble and lock up their guns in their own home. The legislation by the District of Columbia had made it difficult to own or carry a gun.
For the first time in the Supreme Court's history, they declared that it is a constitutional right to own a gun, not just a state's militia or army. The ruling in the majority and minority opinions were especially heated, as the left and right wings of the court clearly had differing opinions on the case.
Without missing a beat, good old John McCain and his buddy, President Bush issued statements declared their happiness at the decision. McCain stated, "I applaud this decision as well as the overturning of the District of Columbia’s ban on handguns and limitations on the ability to use firearms for self-defense." (NY Times)
Obama had been asked by McCain to support an amicus "friend of the court" brief to the Supreme Court in support of overturning the District of Columbia law but Obama had refused.
Obama issued the following statement about the court's opinion saying, ""I have always believed that the Second Amendment protects the right of individuals to bear arms, but I also identify with the need for crime-ravaged communities to save their children from the violence that plagues our streets through common-sense, effective safety measures." (NY Times)
I still doubt very much whether McCain and his buddy Georgie even read the court's decision but you can be assured that the former Harvard Law Review editor, Barack Obama did, just like he read the Gitmo case that McCain neglected to read also.