U.S. Supreme Court To Rule on Gun Control

Next fall, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case at the core of the gun control debate, i.e., does the 2nd Amendment invalidate a New York state law that places a burden on citizens who want to carry arms in public? Most Americans would grant that individual citizens have a right to own a gun for their personal protection in their homes, barring some disqualifying factor: criminal history, mental health issues, but how far does it extend outside the home?

There is no doubt that gun proliferation and gun violence are very closely correlated.  Does the former cause the latter?  Probably, but even if there is no causation, we know we can lower gun fatalities by reducing the number of guns, especially if those weapons are in the hands of people whose background would suggest that there is a high probability of inappropriate use.

The attorney presenting this side of the case is certain to argue that we as a society have a right to protect ourselves and our loved ones from being killed in a public place by someone who used deadly force without justification, especially given how frequent these mass shootings are in our nation today.

Whether this will stand up in the most conservative high court in memory, one that includes three Trump appointees, is anyone’s guess.