June 2008

Ray Schoenke

Vindication for Hunters and Shooters at the Supreme Court

By Ray Schoenke at June 28, 2008 - 9:42am

Today, the Supreme Court found that the Second Amendment of the Constitution does guarantee the individual right to keep and bear arms. This is a critically important decision for all of us who believe in gun rights. The Supreme Court made the right decision.

My organization, The American Hunters and Shooters Association, filed an amicus brief in the Heller case. We had a vested interest in this decision -- and we were validated. In fact, our brief was cited by the Court during oral argument in March and in the opinion today.

As I wrote in February:

All of this is to say that we at AHSA, unlike the NRA, take a responsible approach to firearms policy. We believe that firearm rights do not reside within a vacuum and must be balanced with firearm civic responsibilities. That component has been missing from the pro-gun side, but it’s critical. Hunters and shooters understand and welcome their civic responsibilities. The Second Amendment does not prevent thoughtful public policies. In fact, we think good public policy is good for gun owners and ensures that all Americans can enjoy the benefits of this crucial and historic liberty. But, the NRA leadership won’t ever accept that premise because they can’t raise money from it. That’s one key difference between us. We actually put hunters, shooters and national defense first.

Today, Justice Scalia confirmed what I’ve long believed: We have an individual right to keep and bear arms, but that right is not unlimited. Here are a couple of key excerpts, courtesy of Scotusblog:

"Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited."

And:

"Although we do not undertake an exhaustive historical analysis today of the full scope of the Second Amendment, nothing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms."

This is the balanced, thoughtful approach to the Second Amendment shared by most gun owners, including me. It is a far cry from the rhetoric of the N.R.A. that preaches unfettered access. That view was soundly rejected.

Furthermore, since we are in synch with the Supreme Court decision, this ruling should allow hunters and shooter to focus on critical issues facing us like global warming, protecting of our natural resources, public access and community safety.

Today’s decision guarantees that there will be more litigation to follow, but, we know that our rights are truly enshrined in the Constitution of the United States.

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Tags: hunters, hunting, second amendment, shooters
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