{"id":8563,"date":"2007-11-24T17:07:49","date_gmt":"2007-11-24T22:07:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2007\/11\/24\/a-little-holiday-argument-over-gun"},"modified":"2011-08-05T14:53:37","modified_gmt":"2011-08-05T18:53:37","slug":"a-little-holiday-argument-over-guns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2007\/11\/24\/a-little-holiday-argument-over-guns\/","title":{"rendered":"a little holiday argument over guns"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ooh\" \"\" <\/span> In case you’ve already learned all you need to know about your rights as shoppers<\/a>, and come to a consensus on the traditional Black Friday over-commercialization<\/a> of the holidays issue, and the St. Nick vs. Santa debate<\/a>, here’s a quickie post for readers who have run out of things to argue over<\/span> pontificate about<\/span> debate <\/span>amiably discuss with gathered families and friends this Thanksgiving Weekend. As you surely heard<\/a>, the U.S. Supreme Court has decided to rule on the constitutionality of the District of Columbia’s ban on handguns, in the case of DC v. Heller<\/em>. In Heller<\/em>, the question will be:<\/p>\n

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“Whether the following provisions \u2014 D.C. Code secs. 7-2502.02(a)(4), 22-4504(a), and 7-2507.02 \u2014 violate the Second Amendment rights of individuals who are not affiliated with any state-regulated militia, but who wish to keep handguns and other firearms for private use in their homes?”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The New York Times<\/em> noted<\/a> in an editorial that the Court “has inserted itself into a roiling public controversy with large ramifications for public safety. The court\u2019s move sowed hope and fear among supporters of reasonable gun control.” But,<\/p>\n

“The hope, which we share, is that the court will rise above the hard-right ideology of some justices to render a decision respectful of the Constitution\u2019s text and the violent consequences of denying government broad room to regulate guns. The fear is that it will not.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The federal government has long opined that the right to bear arms was related to forming state militias and not a personal right, but the current Administration has signaled the Court that it supports a personal right, which could greatly limit the ability of states to regulate guns. Surely, there is something virtually everyone around your holiday table (or in the over-crowded Family Room) can differ about when it comes to gun control and the Second Amendment. To easily find lots of informative materials from the blawgiverse, we suggest two sources:<\/p>\n