In a 5/4 vote just last week, the Supreme Court ruled that the second amendment does indeed grant individuals the right to keep and bear (carry) arms. And while freedom lovers were pleased with the ruling, we didn’t see any huge celebrations in honor of the landmark event. Why not?

Perhaps many people are reacting as I did; with mixed emotions. On the one hand, there is relief that at least 5 Justices understood the obvious intent of the framers with regard to the right of the people to keep and bear arms. On the other hand, 4 Justices voted against the Second Amendment! Incredibly, the American people came within just one vote of losing their Second Amendment rights, and in effect, their right of self-protection! So, while we are pleased with the victory, we are also concerned that the victory came with just one vote.

There is also the matter of the case itself. Why in America was there ever a question over whether or not a man in Chicago should have the right to possess a firearm for his protection? It is as though the Second Amendment has no meaning at all. Indeed it doesn’t in some places in our country.

Incidentally, Mayor Daley has vowed to do all that he can to prevent the Supreme Court’s ruling from affecting present gun laws in Chicago. So much for the ruling! If I were a citizen of Chicago I would now sue the city for its refusal to comply with the Supreme Court ruling.

I’m sure that some people have already dismissed this matter and would prefer that we not discuss it in further. That is fine. They can avoid reading articles like this one. However, I have to wonder if such people have stopped to consider what would have happened had the 5/4 vote gone the other way? What if 5 Justices had voted against the individual right to own guns, rather than for it? What would the civil and social climate of our country have been had such happened? Would all gun owning Americans have immediately relinquished their weapons? I doubt it. Perhaps some, but only a relative few. I suspect that most would have considered Obama’s new socialistic course for our country and they would have feared what might happen if they were to give up their guns. Many would have recalled what happened in Germany in the 30’s, and in other countries where the citizenry was disarmed by their government.

There may have been no public displays of celebration following the recent 5/4 Supreme Court ruling in support of the 2nd amendment, but I suspect there would have been some public displays had the ruling gone the other way! I suspect that many would have loaded all of their empty magazines and wondered what was going to happen next!

Tim Haile