NEW YORK STATE RIFLE & PISTOL THANKS LEGISLATORS

TROY, NY (02/11/2008)(readMedia)-- The U.S. Supreme Court recently agreed to hear a case in which a 31-year-old Washington, D.C. handgun ban was overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The District Court ruled that the ban violated the Second Amendment to the Constitution and the Washington city government is appealing this decision. This case is important to gun owners everywhere because the Supreme Court will be interpreting the language of the Second Amendment – specifically, whether it enumerates an individual right to keep and bear arms. Thus, the results of this case could be either a great victory or a devastating defeat for gun owners.

Earlier this month a majority of the U.S. Senate and more than half the members of the House filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to uphold the ruling that the District's handgun ban violates the Second Amendment, and that the Second Amendment enumerates an individual right to keep and bear arms.

Among the House members signing the brief were six New Yorkers: Michael Arcuri (D-24), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-20), Brian Higgins (D-27), J. Randy Kuhl, Jr. (R-29), John McHugh (R-23), Thomas Reynolds (R-26) and James Walsh (R-25). The New York State Rifle & Pistol Association thanks these legislators for supporting an individual rights interpretation of the Second Amendment. We are also pleased to note that this was a bipartisan effort. This demonstrates that Americans’ Second Amendment rights are not a “Republican vs. Democrat” or “Liberal vs. Conservative” issue. Legislators on both sides of the aisle agree that the Second Amendment enumerates an individual right to keep and bear arms. We hope that the Supreme Court agrees.