It is almost certainly the most important Second Amendment court case of our lifetimes. On February 11, 2007, Gun Owners of America and Gun Owners Foundation, along with several other groups, filed an amicus curiae brief in the Supreme Court supporting the respondent in the D.C. gun ban case, District of Columbia, et. al., v. Dick Anthony Heller, No. 07-290.
The issue in this case is whether three D.C. Code provisions violate a Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms for private use in one's home. Under long-standing rules limiting its jurisdiction, the Court should not entertain the Solicitor General's invitation to assess the constitutionality of the whole array of the current federal firearms statutes. Nor, in response to Petitioners and the Solicitor General, should the Court craft a standard of review not supported by the text to permit "reasonable" gun control. Rather, the Court should apply a standard of review dictated by the words and principles embodied in the Second Amendment, as directed by America's founders.
According to its text, context, and historic setting, the Second Amendment protects an individual right to private possession and use of handguns in one's own home. The individual right to keep and bear arms is essential to a "well regulated militia" -- a self-bodying, self-governing association of people privately trained to arms, modeled after the colonial militia that took up their privately-owned firearms to defeat a tyrannical effort to confiscate their arms. In turn, a "well regulated militia" ensures the preservation of a "free state" by allowing all members of the American polity to exercise, if necessary, the sovereign right of the "people" to reconstitute their government.
In order to ensure its purpose to preserve the people's liberties, the Second Amendment bans discriminatory legislation against classes of persons that, by nature, are rightful members of "the people." In order to ensure its means to defeat tyranny, the Second Amendment bans discriminatory legislation against firearms that are essential to a preserve those liberties. By discriminating against law-abiding D.C. citizens and against handguns, the D.C. Code provisions violate both of these standards and, therefore, unconstitutionally infringe upon the right of the people to keep and bear arms.
Of course, Gun Owners Foundation (and our parent lobbying organization, Gun Owners of America) is working hard in other ways than filing briefs. For example, GOF/GOA spokesmen have appeared in media outlets across the country, selling the pro-gun position in the court of public opinion. In particular, appearances on talk shows and op-ed pieces in print media have been used to shed light on the dangerous and sullied path the Bush administration has chosen to take in this landmark case.
The truth of the matter is that immense resources are being expended to advance the pro-gun line in this hugely important battle. Thus, every bit of aid is not only welcome, but truly needed. To contribute to this effort, please click here and donate online.
Or, you can contribute by mail. Write the check to "Gun Owners Foundation," and then on the memo line, write "D.C. v. Heller" and address the envelope to:
Gun Owners Foundation
8001 Forbes Place
Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
All contributors will get an e-mailed receipt, followed by a printed thank you note and documentation of the **tax deductible** status of their contribution from Gun Owners Foundation.
Thank you!
Note as to use of contributions requested to be given to separate legal defense funds. GOF is an IRC section 501(c)(3) public charity. Contributions to GOF are tax-deductible. Contributions may be made by individuals, corporations or nonprofit organizations. In order to ensure that moneys are used consistent with GOF purposes, and to ensure contributions are tax-deductible, GOF must retain discretion as to how to use the funds and donors may not direct GOF as to how to use the funds. Lastly, if all funds given in support of a specific project are not needed for that project, donors understand that funds may be used to assist in other cases or matters consistent with GOF’s purposes.