Supreme Court Affirms Second Amendment Rights, Strikes Down D.C. Gun Ban

5 to 4 decision, Justice Scalia writes for the majority:

Undoubtedly some think that the Second Amendment is outmoded in a society where our standing army is the pride of our Nation, where well-trained police forces provide personal security, and where gun violence is a serious problem. That is perhaps debatable, but what is not debatable is that it is not the role of this Court to pronounce the Second Amendment extinct.

We affirm the judgment of the Court of Appeals.

The Court's ruling significantly restricts the D.C. gun laws, enacted in 1976 as the strictest gun control law in the country. The justices did not bar all government regulation of firearms:

"The Constitution leaves the District of Columbia a variety of tools for combating that problem, including some measures regulating handguns," Justice Scalia said, adding the Constitution bars an absolute handgun ban.

No wonder Obama disavowed his "inartful" statement calling the D.C. gun laws constitutional.