— Now looks forward to challenging other gun control laws around the
country
Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org/
Friday, June 27, 2008
Yesterday was a historic day for the gun rights movement.
For starters, Gun Owners of America is pleased that the U.S. Supreme Court,
in the DC v. Heller opinion, struck down the handgun ban and trigger lock
requirement in the nation’s capital.
As a result, GOA experts have spent the last two days using radio, TV and
print media to explain the Court’s decision and its impact upon the future
of the gun debate in America.
GOA’s amicus brief urged the Court not to use the Heller case as a
springboard to resolve the constitutionality of all of the nation’s firearms
laws. In fact, the GOA brief was the only one making the request not to
rule on automatic weapons and other issues, upholding judicial restraint.
GOA is pleased that the judges heeded our admonition to limit the Court’s
holding to the case before it.
In so doing, the Court’s decision — in dissenting Justice Breyers words —
“threatens to throw into doubt the constitutionality of gun laws
throughout
the United States.”
Notable gun banner, Dianne Feinstein, was equally upset, saying she was
“profoundly disappointed” in the Court decision.
The U.S. Supreme Court also followed GOA’s urging and refused to do any
balancing of governmental powers and individual liberties — it just ruled
the ban was prohibited by the text of the Second Amendment, saying that its
language elevates, above all other interests, the “right of law-abiding,
responsible citizens to use arms in defense of hearth and home.”
However, the Court stated its opinion should “not be taken to cast
doubt” on
at least some prohibited persons’ restrictions, gun free school zones bans
and dealer licensing requirements. This dicta implies that, in the future,
courts might go further than the Constitution permits in upholding some gun
restrictions.
Nevertheless, the Court’s opinion directly conflicts with what anti-rights
advocates — like those in the Brady Campaign — have been saying for years.
So GOA welcomes the opportunity to continue our fight for the people’s right
to keep and bear arms.
GOA is already preparing to wage constitutional challenges to a range of
laws — federal, state and local — that violate the Second Amendment
principles endorsed by the Court in yesterdays majority opinion.
To contribute to these efforts, you can go to
http://www.gunowners.com/dogfund.htm and make a tax deductible contribution
to the Defend Our Guns (DOG) Fund. Contributing to this DOG Fund will allow
our committed and courageous legal team to make Justice Breyer’s fears a
reality.
Gun Owners Foundation wants to lay the groundwork for the next battle in the
Second Amendment war between those of us who love liberty and those who
would allow the government to disarm us as the first step to our own
enslavement.
You contribution to the DOG Fund is tax deductible, and it will go a long
way towards helping us preserve our Second Amendment rights — not only for
ourselves, but for our children as well.
This battle is far from over my friends.
Tags: Constitution, Law
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