Principles » self-defense http://www.selfdirectedsociety.com for a Self-Directed Society Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:02:39 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Free to Own a Gun http://www.selfdirectedsociety.com/free-to-own-a-gun/ http://www.selfdirectedsociety.com/free-to-own-a-gun/#comments Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:01:40 +0000 Mr. Smith http://www.selfdirectedsociety.com/?p=6 In Principles for a Self-Directed Society, I specifically take a position favoring the right of ordinary civilians to own such weapons as they may choose to own. I based my argument on the Jeffersonian notion of civil defense; and I also cited the reasonable desire of a person to engage in sport hunting. I should have included in the section the further assertion that it is reasonable for a person to own a weapon for the purpose of defending their home. Fortunately, the Supreme Court ruled on June 26, 2008 in the case District of Columbia v. Heller (07-290) that the Second Amendment does guarantee an individual the right to own a weapon. This vindication of the obvious interpretation of the Second Amendment will most likely remain largely unchallenged for several generations, given the difficulty of the issue and the Court’s policy of deferring to precedent whenever possible. When, in some future time, this question is again brought before the high court, I hope they will again rule in favor of freedom.

In the meantime, I wish the Supreme Court would rule in favor of the rights and freedoms of the individual more often– but that sounds like a different topic.

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