Louisiana Carry News

Supreme Court Declares That the Second Amendment
Guarantees an Individual Right to Keep and Bear Arms
-- June 26, 2008 (From NRA Web Site)

Fairfax, VA – Leaders of the National Rifle Association (NRA) praised the Supreme Court’s historic ruling overturning Washington, D.C.’s ban on handguns and on self-defense in the home, in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller.

“This is a great moment in American history. It vindicates individual Americans all over this country who have always known that this is their freedom worth protecting,” declared NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre. “Our founding fathers wrote and intended the Second Amendment to be an individual right. The Supreme Court has now acknowledged it. The Second Amendment as an individual right now becomes a real permanent part of American Constitutional law.”

Last year, the District of Columbia appealed a Court of Appeals ruling affirming that the Second Amendment to the Constitution guarantees an individual right to keep and bear arms, and that the District’s bans on handguns, carrying firearms within the home and possession of functional firearms for self-defense violate that fundamental right.

“Anti-gun politicians can no longer deny that the Second Amendment guarantees a fundamental right,” said NRA chief lobbyist Chris W. Cox. “All law-abiding Americans have a fundamental, God-given right to defend themselves in their homes. Washington, D.C. must now respect that right.”

On March 18, 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in District of Columbia v. Heller. We are getting closer to one of the most notable Court decisions in the history of the Second Amendment. It will still be several months before the Court issues a decision, but if you would like to read or hear the arguments, we have them housed on LouisianaCarry.org:

Also, if you have not read it yet, you may want to familiarize yourself with the D.C. Circuit Court Opinion that is being appealed:

Heller update from March 9th, 2007:

I am honored to inform you of a milestone for the Second Amendment. As you may know, our Fifth Circuit is the only Circuit court to uphold the individual right to keep and bear arms. To my knowledge, no Federal court has ever struck down any law based on the ‘individual rights’ model. Well, on March 9^th, 2007- that happened. The unconstitutional and immoral D.C. gun has been overturned. Some D.C. officials have expressed an intention to go before the Supreme Court. There may well be some very interesting events ahead.

If you have the time, or can make the time, I encourage you to read the majority’s decision and opinion. I have housed the file on our web site: downloads\dc_opinion.pdf (Read the complaint here) It is one of the best (not perfect) opinions I have read in years. Especially if upheld by the SCOTUS, it could very well overturn the GCA and the NFA, at least in large part. Right now, this ruling only affects the rights of citizens in D.C. to have a weapon inside their homes, but the precedent could be far reaching, indeed. Keep your eyes on this.