The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on Thursday to overturn a longstanding New York state law that requires “proper cause” to carry a handgun in public, a decision that broadens the government’s interpretation of the Second Amendment and will likely have a ripple effect throughout the nation.
The law in question — which has existed for more than a century in New York state and is mimicked in similar legislation in a handful of other states — required residents to show that they have a special need for self-defense in order to obtain a concealed carry permit.
Justice Clarence Thomas.Drew Angerer/Getty Images
The Fourteenth Amendment, which was ratified in 1868, guarantees all Americans the right to equal protection under the law and forbids states from denying citizens “life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.”
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PresidentJoe Bidenissued a statement Thursday morning that called on Americans to continue making their voices heard on gun safety and called on states to continue passing “commonsense” gun laws to protect their residents.
“In the wake of the horrific attacks in Buffalo and Uvalde, as well as the daily acts of gun violence that do not make national headlines, we must do more as a society — not less — to protect our fellow Americans,” he wrote. “As the late Justice Scalia recognized, the Second Amendment is not absolute. For centuries, states have regulated who may purchase or possess weapons, the types of weapons they may use, and the places they may carry those weapons. And the courts have upheld these regulations.”
“It is outrageous that at a moment of national reckoning on gun violence, the Supreme Court has recklessly struck down a New York law that limits those who can carry concealed weapons,” New York Gov.Kathy Hochultweeted immediately after the decision was released.
“In response to this ruling, we are closely reviewing our options — including calling a special session of the legislature,” Hochul continued. “Just as we swiftly passednation-leading gun reform legislation, I will continue to do everything in my power to keep New Yorkers safe from gun violence.”
source: people.com
