The Second Amendment: A Never-Ending Battle

For over 50 years, the debate over the Second Amendment’s interpretation and the extent of the right to “keep and bear arms” has been a contentious issue for governments and courts at all levels. Even after 232 years since its ratification, the topic remains hotly debated today. In fact, the battle between gun control advocates and Second Amendment supporters is more heated than ever. With banks and credit card companies monitoring firearms purchases, the debate is becoming increasingly polarized.

The U.S. Supreme Court has thrown down the gauntlet to gun control advocates. Last June, the Court ruled in a New York case that the government’s arbitrary and absolute restrictions on an individual’s right to possess a firearm must be evaluated based on the meaning and history of the Second Amendment. This decision means that only those government-imposed restrictions that are consistent with this analysis would be considered constitutional.

Despite this ruling, gun control advocates are still fighting for stricter measures to limit firearms purchases, while Second Amendment supporters are standing firm in their belief that any infringement upon their right to bear arms is unconstitutional. Banks and credit card companies have also entered the fray by monitoring firearms purchases, raising concerns from both sides of the debate. Between New York’s laws to ban people from carrying firearms, to Biden’s pledge to ban your AR-15s, will we ever see an end to the war on your second amendment rights? For more information, Lars speaks with Bob Barr, the former CIA Analyst and Member of Congress.