On Thursday, June 23rd, the US Supreme Court declared a gun law in New York that required proof of “proper cause” to have a concealed firearm as unconstitutional. This continues the pattern of the Supreme Court expanding gun rights from the conservative judges.
Justice Clarence Thomas, one of the six conservative judges who voted to strike down the law, stated that Americans should be allowed to carry firearms for self-defense. This verdict could affect similar restrictions in other states such as Maryland, California, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.
The case involved two plaintiffs, Robert Nash and Brandon Koch, who were denied concealed carry permits even though they had licenses to own recreational firearms. The National Rifle Association, who backed the plaintiffs, celebrated the judgement.
Speaking on the Court’s verdict, President Joe Biden was “deeply disappointed” by the decision and that it “contradicts both common sense and the Constitution, and should trouble us all.”
The Court’s decision comes amid increasingly divisive opinions on gun access as a result of the shootings that occurred in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York last month. In 2020 alone, over 45,000 Americans were killed from gun-related injuries. Commenting on gun violence in 2022, Justice Breyer, one of the justices who was against the majority, said that “since the start of this year alone, there have been 277 reported mass shootings – an average of more than one per day.”
Despite the ongoing issues with gun violence, the Supreme Court continues to expand gun rights and have a wide interpretation of the Second Amendment. In the future, it will be harder for the Supreme Court to allow for broader restrictions on guns after setting this precedent.
Simultaneous to this ruling, the U.S Senate passed legislation that would restrict the ability to purchase a firearm. This is the first time in three decades that a national bill regarding gun control has been passed. This law would expand background checks for those under 21 and offer funding to states with emergency programs to take guns away from individuals a judge deems dangerous.
Following the ruling, New York City Mayor Eric Adams expressed that he will continue to find other ways to restrict gun access, such as tightening the application process for buying firearms, because “we cannot allow New York to become the wild, wild west.”
Link to Article: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-61915237
Justice Clarence Thomas, one of the six conservative judges who voted to strike down the law, stated that Americans should be allowed to carry firearms for self-defense. This verdict could affect similar restrictions in other states such as Maryland, California, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.
The case involved two plaintiffs, Robert Nash and Brandon Koch, who were denied concealed carry permits even though they had licenses to own recreational firearms. The National Rifle Association, who backed the plaintiffs, celebrated the judgement.
Speaking on the Court’s verdict, President Joe Biden was “deeply disappointed” by the decision and that it “contradicts both common sense and the Constitution, and should trouble us all.”
The Court’s decision comes amid increasingly divisive opinions on gun access as a result of the shootings that occurred in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York last month. In 2020 alone, over 45,000 Americans were killed from gun-related injuries. Commenting on gun violence in 2022, Justice Breyer, one of the justices who was against the majority, said that “since the start of this year alone, there have been 277 reported mass shootings – an average of more than one per day.”
Despite the ongoing issues with gun violence, the Supreme Court continues to expand gun rights and have a wide interpretation of the Second Amendment. In the future, it will be harder for the Supreme Court to allow for broader restrictions on guns after setting this precedent.
Simultaneous to this ruling, the U.S Senate passed legislation that would restrict the ability to purchase a firearm. This is the first time in three decades that a national bill regarding gun control has been passed. This law would expand background checks for those under 21 and offer funding to states with emergency programs to take guns away from individuals a judge deems dangerous.
Following the ruling, New York City Mayor Eric Adams expressed that he will continue to find other ways to restrict gun access, such as tightening the application process for buying firearms, because “we cannot allow New York to become the wild, wild west.”
Link to Article: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-61915237
