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Second Amendment & the Right to Keep and Bear Arms

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.

The Second Amendment protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms for defense of life and liberty.

In U.S. v. Cruikshank (1876), Presser v. Illinois (1886), Miller v. Texas (1894) and U.S. v. Miller (1939), the Supreme Court recognized that the amendment protects an individual right. It has never taken a different view. However, in Salina v. Blaksley (1905), the Kansas Supreme Court invented the idea that the amendment instead protected a “right” of a person to keep and bear arms only while serving in a state militia, and in U.S. v. Tot (1942), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit advanced the idea that the amendment protects the “right” of a state to have a militia.

In District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), the Supreme Court heard its first case specifically centered on whether the amendment protects an individual right to arms. Gun control supporters advanced essentially the "Salina" argument, but the Court, consistent with its previous rulings in Second Amendment-related cases, ruled that the amendment protects an individual right to keep arms and to bear arms "in case of confrontation," without regard to a person’s relationship to a militia.

In McDonald v. Chicago (2010), the court extended the Second Amendment's protection nationwide.

Issue Articles
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Anti-gun Democrats Seek to Undermine Law Passed to Protect Veterans’ Rights

News  

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Anti-gun Democrats Seek to Undermine Law Passed to Protect Veterans’ Rights

Last week we reported on a major breakthrough on behalf of veterans who risked losing their Second Amendment ...

Townhall  

Friday, October 30, 2020

Gun Rights Are the Most Under Appreciated Issue of This Election

With everyone from newspapers and commentators to campaign surrogates and the candidates themselves vying for our attention, it’s ...

The Federalist  

Friday, May 31, 2019

It’s Time For The Supreme Court To Make States Stop Ignoring The Second Amendment

The Supreme Court has the chance to reinforce its 11-year-old message to the lower courts: the Second Amendment ...

Retired Justice Stevens Continues Crusade Against Guns

News  

Friday, May 17, 2019

Retired Justice Stevens Continues Crusade Against Guns

Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens does not believe a law-abiding citizen has a right to possess ...

California: City of Los Angeles Discriminates Against NRA Supporters

Friday, February 15, 2019

California: City of Los Angeles Discriminates Against NRA Supporters

This week, the City Council Members of Los Angeles showed their extreme distain of the Second Amendment, the ...

Tuesday, February 5, 2019

Florida: 1.9 Million CW License holders on Alert

A devout anti-gun Commissioner of Agriculture (Nikki Fried) and an even worse anti-gun Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture (Mary ...

Associated Press  

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Should social media check be required to get a gun license?

Should authorities be able to deny handgun licenses for hateful tweets?A New York lawmaker is raising the question ...

CNY Central  

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

New York: Privacy groups oppose state gun control proposal

A gun control proposal in the New York State Legislature is getting some push-back from privacy groups.

Buffalo News  

Thursday, November 29, 2018

New York: Reveal your passwords? Gun bill threatens more than 2nd Amendment

Do the math and you can understand why Andrew Cuomo and most members of the State Legislate easily ...

Politico  

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Senate will keep cranking out Trump judicial, Cabinet nominees

President Donald Trump would have loved to see Republicans keep their grip on the House of Representatives in ...

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NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.