Supreme Courts Overturns D.C. Handgun Ban

Today, in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court decision written by Justice Scalia said the D.C. ban on handgun ownership was unconstitutional. However, it left the door ajar by also saying government may impose some restrictions. The particulars of the law passed by D.C. and this Supreme Court decision will now be examined thoroughly by both sides of the gun control argument. Expect new gun control laws to follow interpretation from this ruling. Read more here.

Republicans and the McCain campaign will jump on this decision and try to frame Obama as a bleeding heart liberal on this issue. Politico.com has a good read here. When this argument comes up I am always reminded of the countless number of westerns I watched as a boy. One thing in particular stays in my mind - to bring order to the lawless frontier towns, the sheriffs would require no guns to be worn and visitors would have to check their guns at the sheriff's office. The same approach has been used recently in some towns in Iraq. It would seem reasonable gun control legislation could aid in the safety of the residents in a community without infringing on the "right to bear arms" in the second amendment.

This is always a hot button issue, so expect more discussion. Stay tuned.

Read more of the Obama/McCain back and forth today on this issue here.