Court says individuals have right to own guns

[fantASTic]

I've got to say, I completely agree with this SCOTUS decision. Although I usually tend to go pretty liberal, the DC gun restrictions were absurd and clearly unconstitutional. They were effectively banning guns without actually doing it - residents were not allowed to carry registered hand guns, and guns in the home must be unloaded, disassembled and have a trigger lock...which basically makes them 100% useless.

In this day and age of unrestrained lawmaking and the total disassemble of our Constitution, I find it increasingly important to make sure that each article of our Constitution and Bylaws are followed...or we risk losing everything.

Good job, SCOTUS. Is the Patriot Act next?

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

When the framers were talking about militias and their one-shot-muskets to make sure the colonists could defend themselves against the crown or other enemies, I can't imagine they had AK-47s in mind when they wrote the amendment. Or fathom the existence of a gun like that.

If you start getting into this type of argument, as to the framers not having modern advances in mind when writing the Constitution and amendments, you're getting into a whole mess of issues. You could make arguments on how to limit free speech over the internet and a few other things.

I understand what you're saying, I just don't think you want to start going down that road.

[srmom]

People should have to right to have weapons to defend themselves from dumbasses who also have weapons and are trying to harm them (e.g. people breaking into homes for various reasons).

Quick story to bolster this idea. Back when I was in high school, I went to the rodeo with this guy, first date (and last)!! As he was walking me up to the door, a car load of "banditos" pulled up (they had followed us), jumped out and started robbing us. First thing, they knocked my date out in the front yard with the butt of the gun. They then held the gun to my head and made me open the door and start walking in. I was crying my eyes out, so he told me to shut up or he would blow my brains out. My dad, who was in bed (downstairs bedroom) heard something and started calling out, "..., is that you?" He called a few times, but I obviously didn't answer. The robber and I were slowly and silently walking towards my parents' room. Next thing, we heard a really audible and distinctive cocking of a shotgun - my dad's, that he kept under the bed. When the robbers heard it, all but the one with me took off. When the one with me saw that his buddies left, he took off too.

I know that if my dad had not had that gun, we could have all been killed. Turns out, the guys had raped a woman earlier that night, that could have been my fate as well.

I don't think I'll need my gun to protect myself from the government, but I darn well think that I might need it to protect myself from a home invader or robber, and I damn well know how to use it...