Washington, D.C. — Tomorrow, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral argument in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, a case brought forth by the National Rifle Association’s New York affiliate that seeks to challenge the state’s long-standing permitting requirements for carrying guns in public. In response, Alex Barrio, advocacy director for Gun Violence Prevention at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
On November 3, the Supreme Court will have the opportunity to uphold the rights of states to regulate firearms in their states and keep communities safe. This case is not about the right to individually bear arms and own guns but about whether or not people have the right to carry their guns everywhere they go—into churches, nightclubs, grocery stores, and even their own workplaces.
Every day, more than 100 people are killed by firearms; more than one-third of those deaths are homicides. The Supreme Court held in D.C. v. Heller that individuals have a Second Amendment right to own a firearm—but as the late Justice Antonin Scalia pointed out, that right is not unlimited. The New York law being challenged here is a reasonable restriction that keeps guns out of public places such as playgrounds, shopping malls, and our streets. It does not restrict gun ownership or infringe on the Second Amendment. The law is reasonable, and we hope the Supreme Court will agree.
Related resource: “Myth vs. Fact: Debunking the Gun Lobby’s Favorite Talking Points”
For more information or to speak with an expert on this topic, please contact Tricia Woodcome at [email protected].