| Justice Antonin Scalia says he is a passionate critic of | | | | opening clause about the need for a ready militia was |
| those judicial decisions that he considers as to be | | | | only one of the reasons that the Framers recognized |
| "legislating from the bench." He further contends that | | | | as a preexisting right to bear arms. I guess the |
| the Constitution has a fixed and knowable meaning, | | | | Founding Fathers neglected to include the other |
| which was established at the time of its drafting. | | | | reasons, figuring that Mr. Antonin Scalia could add |
| With this in mind, let's take a look at the recent | | | | these later. |
| Supreme Court decision to reject the Washington | | | | Mr. Scalia also was able to read into the Second |
| D.C. Ban on Handgun Ownership. The 5-4 Ruling found | | | | Amendment that no law could be written that could |
| that the 1976 Law was incompatible with the Second | | | | render a lawful firearm inoperable for immediate |
| Amendment. The Second Amendment to the United | | | | self-defense in the home. Does this mean that a |
| States Constitution is a part of the Bill of Rights that | | | | loaded Browning .50 Caliber Machine Gun should be |
| declares: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to | | | | allowed in the home? If Mr. Scalia would argue that |
| the security of a free State, the right of the people | | | | this is not a lawful firearm, I would remind him that |
| to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. | | | | the Second Amendment does not distinguish |
| Mr. Scalia wrote in the majority opinion: "We hold that | | | | between the various types of arms available. |
| the District's ban on handgun possession in the home | | | | My point is not that Mr. Scalia erred in this decision, |
| violates the Second Amendment, as does its | | | | but that he should recognize that this decision is as |
| prohibition against rendering any lawful firearm in the | | | | much "legislating from the bench" as those decisions |
| home operable for the purpose of immediate | | | | concerning the rights of privacy such as Roe v. Wade |
| self-defense," | | | | that he rails so much against. |
| Mr. Scalia somehow concluded that the amendment's | | | | |