Supreme Court upholds the right to bear arms

Today the United States Supreme Court handed down its long-awaited ruling in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller (Case # 07-290), and it was clearly the right decision.
 
 It all began when 66 year old armed security guard Dick Anthony Heller filed suit against the District after officials there refused to grant him a license to own a handgun to keep in his D.C. home for the purpose of self-defense. In 1976 the municipality had passed a law making the ownership of handguns by private citizens illegal, but today’s Supreme Court ruling declared that law incompatible with the right to bear arms under the 2nd Amendment.
 
 For years, gun control advocates have tried to argue that the wording of the 2nd Amendment only confers the right to bear arms to state militias, not individual citizens. I disagree. The Amendment reads as follows: “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” It is quite clear to me that the references to “a well regulated militia” and “the people” refer to separate entities. In other words, the right to bear arms belongs to both organized militias AND individuals.
 
 Now that the High Court has finally upheld the right of law-abiding citizens to own guns, look for gun control laws all across the nation to be challenged and either modified or struck down altogether. Look also for more of our fellow citizens to be able to sleep better at night because they can finally legally defend themselves against intruders intent on taking their property and/or their lives.
 
 Here’s a big thumbs-up to the Supreme Court for choosing to interpret the Constitution for a change instead of simply ignoring it and “making law” at their whim.