The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the most liberal court in America, ruled that the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment protects the individual’s natural right to carry a gun in public for self-defense.
The San Francisco-based, three-judge panel effectively rejected a claim made by Hawaii officials that the Second Amendment only applies to weapons kept at the owner’s residence.
This is the sixth U.S. circuit court to interpret the Second Amendment as the protection of the individual’s right to self-defense in public as well.
Plaintiff George Young alleged his constitutional rights were violated when Hawaii failed to give him a gun carry permit, which the majority of judges agreed, stating that the officials infringed on the man’s right.
“We do not take lightly the problem of gun violence,” Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain wrote the ruling. “But, for better or for worse, the Second Amendment does protect a right to carry a firearm in public for self-defense.”
In 2016, the same court ruled that the Second Amendment does not protect the individual’s right to carry a concealed firearm in public. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case then but in 2008, the highest court of the land ruled that the Second Amendment protects a person’s right to own and keep guns at home for self-defense.
Self-Defense: A Natural Right, Not A Gift From Government
While this ruling can be seen as a win for gun rights advocates, the reality is that the Second Amendment simply states that the government should protect a person’s right to own and keep arms. Whether a judge rules otherwise or not, we all have the right to defend ourselves. And the government has no say on this fact. Unfortunately, the government has taken many steps to restrict that right. That puts people in danger as only criminals end up having access to guns. But in spite of the real-life consequences of gun restrictions, the public continues to pressure legislators to make it even harder for individuals to own firearms.
Claiming that mass shootings have never been worse, these gun control advocates completely ignore the fact gun-related violence has actually dropped considerably in the last few years, and that when you isolate states where gun restrictions are in place, America is one of the safest countries in the world when it comes to gun-related crimes.
So why is it so hard for mainstream America to accept a person’s right to self-defense?
While the reasons are numerous, it’s safe to say that gun control is the type of policy only elitist, wealthy, and out-of-touch people would defend. After all, only that type of people would have the guts to impose a restriction on the rights of the poor and minorities who are often ignored or let down by government-backed law enforcement.
