On June 27, 2008 the United States Supreme Court made its first ruling upholding a lower court's decision to void a low based purely on Second Amendment grounds. The case was that of District of Columbia v. Heller, relating to an attempt by the District's attempts to curtail the rights of individuals to carry firearms in the city. The ruling also was the first in history to directly address whether "the right of the people to keep and bear arms", as stated in the Second Amendment, is an individual right in addition to a collective right applying to state-regulated militia.
The court's decision asserted that it is an individual right, a position maintained by the National Rifle Association and some 44 million American gun owners, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
The Gun Debate in America
The debate over gun ownership in the United States is a heated one, pitting gun advocates – believing in an argument of self-defense and hunting traditions – against gun control supporters – questioning the need for more than 240 million guns in private hands. Another article deals with the merits of the self-defense argument. This one is more concerned with the criminal use of guns.
