Would Americans be best served without the right to bear arms?
Would Americans be best served without the right to bear arms? That’s the argument retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is making as a growing number of people call for significant gun control legislation in the wake of the student-led March for Our Lives demonstrations over the weekend. In an op-ed published in the New York Times Tuesday, the 97-year-old Stevens described the origins of the Second Amendment as a relic of the 18th century. He said repeal would weaken the National Rifle Association’s ability to « block constructive gun control legislation. »Stevens was on the losing end of a 2008 ruling in which the high court held that the Second Amendment gives individuals the right to own a gun for self-defense. He says the decision in that case, District of Columbia v. Heller, « has provided the N. R. A. with a propaganda weapon of immense power. » Stevens retired from the court in 2010, after more than 35 years. Some Bay Area residents were taken aback by the justice’s remarks, including longtime NRA training counselor, Scott Jackson, who says he’s been the target of multiple death threats in recent months from those who say he should shut down his firearms safety business. »My belief is so deep inside of me, my belief, my conviction, » said Jackson. « I ask myself, am I doing right, or am I doing wrong? And we all have to ask ourselves that question. »NRA firearms rights attorney, Nafiz Ahmed, believes there shouldn’t be a blanket rule. »There’s a very large population in the United States, and one rule for all, may not necessarily be the right thing, especially when it comes to taking firearms away, » says Ahmed. Constitutional law experts say it would be very difficult to repeal the Second Amendment. »The steps involved are two-thirds vote of each house of Congress, three quarters of the states ratifying, and I think that is very difficult in this political environment, » said Stephen Smith, associate clinical professor at Santa Clara University School of Law.
