In another ruling that once again shows that the Supreme Court does not believe in the NRA fiction of absolute 2nd Amendment rights, a challenge to the law that banned the ownership or purchase of guns by convicted domestic abusers was denied in an opinion issued today. Once again, the Court has upheld the constitutionality of reasonable gun restrictions and I imagine there will be many more cases like this in the years to come as many states become more committed to rational gun control policies.
In an earlier post, I emphasized how important I think it is for gun control advocates to highlight these Supreme Court decisions. The only right the Supreme Court has ruled is that you have the right to own a gun in your own home - that is all. Once you get the NRA to have to admit that the constitution allows for reasonable gun restrictions, the debate turns in our favor - it is not about whether gun control is legal but rather what gun control restrictions are legal. Too many citizens have been brainwashed by the NRA's propaganda that the 2nd Amendment is all-encompassing and does not allow any restrictions whatsoever. And that is plainly false. Of course, the NRA will still wield enormous political power and be in a position to politically block all sorts of gun control efforts. But it is important to change the terms of the debate. Gun control opponents always hide behind the rubric of "protecting the right to own a gun". Pointing out that the Court has ruled the right is subject to restrictions strips away some of their cover.
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