SCOTUS ruling that gives right to carry gun in public condemned by Asian American lawmakers
By Jane Nam
June 23, 2022
Democratic Asian American lawmakers responded to the Supreme Court’s historic ruling on Thursday that the Constitution grants the right to carry a gun outside the home.
In a 6-3 ruling, the court decided that the right to “keep and bear arms” was not limited to keeping guns at home for self-defense, as it had been previously ruled in 2008.
The new interpretation was the result of a New York case in which gun owners sued the state for making it nearly impossible for citizens to obtain a gun license.
New York law previously required a person to get a special permit to carry a concealed handgun in public, but the permit could only be granted if the person proved they had a need for a firearm beyond personal protection.
Several Democratic Asian American lawmakers took to Twitter to respond to what is the biggest expansion of gun rights in a decade.
In a reposting of The New York Times, Andy Kim (D, NJ-3) wrote that the ruling particularly scared him “as a parent” and that conservatives were to blame for the decision.
“Shame on the Supreme Court for making our communities less safe,” his tweet read. “This is what republicans have wanted for decades, I will always fight against these policies that take us backwards. Remember, the opposite of democracy is apathy. Keep fighting.”
Senator Mazie Hirono (D, HI) also accused Republicans and referred to the country’s troubling track record of mass shootings.
“At a time when the rest of the country has awoken to the reality of a growing gun violence epidemic, we have an extreme right wing Supreme Court that is busy making it easier to endanger our communities,” her tweet read.
Grace Meng (D, NY-6) described the overturn of New York’s gun laws as “dangerous & irresponsible” and added, “We cannot — and we will not — let this decision stop us from keeping our families safe.”
With the Second Amendment expanded to include public spaces, state and local governments will be further limited in their ability to impose firearm reforms, as evident with the court’s strike down of New York’s gun law.
As several lawmakers mentioned, the news also comes at a time when the nation is still reeling from the Uvalde, Texas, elementary school shooting that left 21 dead.
Featured Image via CBS 8 San Diego
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