Supremes overturn DC gun law.

June 26, 2008 7:46 AM

The US Supreme Court has overturned the District of Columbia's handgun ban. 5 -4 decision overturns nation's strictest gun law.
posted by aiq (8 comments total)

Huzzah! Now my Dupont Circle militia may remain well armed!
posted by billysumday at 7:47 AM on June 26, 2008 [1 favorite]

This will end well.
posted by Debaser626 at 7:50 AM on June 26, 2008

I'm all for controlling handguns, but the Second Amendment seems to be pretty clear English to me. (That's how you start a thread off well.)
posted by DU at 7:51 AM on June 26, 2008

On one hand, I'm not too fond of handguns.

On the other hand, I'm not too fond of people deciding the Constitution doesn't matter.
posted by oaf at 7:52 AM on June 26, 2008

dammit, DU
posted by oaf at 7:52 AM on June 26, 2008

Scalia mentions quite explicitly the right to own a gun "to defend the home." Could DC interpret that to mean that it is legal to outlaw handguns in public places? Is this decision simply the start of an extended back-and-forth between city and State, or do people expect this to be the end all decision and no more cities will attempt such bans?
posted by billysumday at 7:55 AM on June 26, 2008

The pro-gun crowd believes that if a lot of people carried concealed weapons then would-b eperps would be afraid to try some evil act for fear the victim might be armed. Alas, the stats seem to indicate that state by state, the more guns per population the greater the rate of death by guhns in those states.
posted by Postroad at 7:57 AM on June 26, 2008

If McCain wins the election -- or if he is selected by the Court, 2000-style -- the Roberts Court will be for conservatives what the Warren Court has been for liberals; it's probably too late for them to restore slavery and segregation, but from Miranda to Roe, they're all going down, you mark my words
posted by matteo at 8:00 AM on June 26, 2008