The Battle over the Second Amendment

Unless you've been on a media fast for the last month, you know that the Supreme Court will be hearing a case that could put to rest the great debate over the meaning of the Second Amendment - namely, whether it allows individuals to own firearms, or whether that right is limited to those serving in a "militia." The case is District of Columbia v. Heller (07-290), and the question presented, as written by the Supreme Court, is:

"Whether the following provisions -- D.C. Code secs. 7-2502.02(a)(4), 22-4504(a), and 7-2507.02 -- 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?"
See the Supreme Court Docket.

You may not own a gun or you may be a member of the NRA. Regardless of your position, this could be a case that is studied in constitutional law cases for the rest of eternity. It certainly won't put the great "guns kill people" vs. "people kill people" debate to rest, but it could finally give some parameters for gun laws.

The case will probably be heard in March and decided in June. To get you in the mood for the showdown, here are some interesting articles on the case:

• A Question of Commas in the D.C. Gun Case. Period. - A fun little article on the grammar war over the Second Amendment.
• Supreme Court Agrees to Take D.C. Gun Case - A good summary of the case.