Other News
Supreme Court to rule on the right to bear handguns
By Sue Mueller
Mar 18, 2008 - 3:58:11 PM

TUESDAY March 18, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- The U.S Supreme Court has begun examining whether it is constitutional for Washington DC, the capital of the U.S., to ban citizens from possessing handguns, VOA News reported today.  The lawsuit was brought to court by gun rights advocates.

The court ruling is expected to have an impact on the right to bear arms nationwide.  The proponents of the ban said handguns have been linked to high rates of crimes.  The opponents said a ban on bearing handguns is against individual's constitutional right.

In the 1970s, the District of Columbia passed legislation to ban its residents from possessing handguns in an effort to fight crime.  It is the first and only ban that completely prohibits handguns although many cities have restrictions and stipulations on firearms, according to VOA News.

The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights ratified in 1791 states that "the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

But the statement is subject to different interpretations.  It may hint a blanket authorization for citizens to possess any firearms or the language of the amendment is applied to the earlier years of the republic only.

Robert Levy, an attorney representing those seeking to overturn the handgun ban was quoted as saying "But an outright ban on all handguns in all homes at all times for all people is not a reasonable regulation. It is a prohibition. And we are hopeful that the court will find that to be unconstitutional."

"This is a public safety case," said Washington Mayor Adrian Fent, a proponent of the handgun ban.  "Handguns represent a disproportionate number of crimes in the District of Columbia: everything from homicides to robbery to rape."

"The fact that we have had a handgun ban has significantly curtailed the number of violent crimes in the city. More guns anywhere in the District of Columbia is going to lead to more crime, and that is why we stand so steadfastly against any repeal of our handgun ban," he said.

A health advocate said if the number of death induced by handguns can serve the basis for the government to ban handguns, then the government should ban doctors first because they incidentally kill more people than handguns.

In the United States, 700,000 physicians result in 120,000 accidental deaths each year (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) while 80,000,000 cause 1,500 accidental deaths each year, according to viatminb17.org. Statistically, doctors are about 9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners.