Four weeks after the worst killing spree in the US in a decade, the US Supreme Court upheld the right to bear arms. US President Biden was disappointed.
Washington, DC – US President Joe Biden called for stricter gun laws after the Uvalde shooting spree a few weeks ago. He was all the more disappointed about the decision of the US Supreme Court. Because on Thursday (June 23), the Supreme Court decided to expand the right to carry firearms.
US gun laws: This was decided by the US Supreme Court on Thursday
More than 20,000 people have been killed by guns in the United States since the beginning of the year. This is the result of counts by the non-governmental organization Gun Violence Archive. Gun violence is the number one cause of death among children and young people in the United States, ahead of traffic accidents, according to CDC data.
About four weeks after the worst US school shooting in a decade, the US Supreme Court extended the right to carry guns in public in its decision Thursday. The Supreme Court overturned a New York state law that requires people to have a valid reason to carry a handgun concealed.
The verdict related to the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution of 1791. The law violates the constitution because it prevents “law-abiding citizens” from exercising their right to own and bear arms, the verdict read on Thursday . The court thus classified the carrying of firearms in public as a fundamental right.
US Supreme Court strengthens right to carry firearms: That’s how far-reaching the ruling is
The US Supreme Court consists of nine justices who hold their posts for life. Currently, three of the federal judges are Democrats, six of whom were appointed by Republican presidents. Under Donald Trump, the Supreme Court moved significantly to the right, with the former US President nominating three of the top judges in the US during his tenure.
Six months after conservative judge Amy Coney Barrett joined the court, it agreed to dismiss the New York case, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, No. 20-843listen to the New York Times reported. The gun lobby group NRA had sued in the case along with two New York men who had not been granted gun permits. With the votes of six conservatives against three liberal judges, the Supreme Court on Thursday now annulled a tightening of gun laws in the state of New York.
The Supreme Court’s decision has far-reaching implications in the United States. Particularly affected are US states that have tried to combat firearm crime with restrictions on the carrying of firearms. Several states, including California, have laws similar to the one that the US Supreme Court overturned in New York. In contrast, more than half of US states already allow the carrying of guns in public.
Biden Response to Supreme Court Ruling: ‘Contradicts Common Sense’
While the NRA hailed the US Supreme Court’s decision as a “victory” for “all good men and women” in the US, US President Joe Biden reacted “deeply disappointed”. “This ruling is contrary to both common sense and the Constitution and should deeply concern us all,” Democrat Biden said.
The Democratic New York governor Kathy Hochul also spoke of a “black day”. The court decision was “absolutely shocking” and deprived the states of the right to “reasonable restrictions”. New York City Mayor Eric Adams said that this “may have opened up an additional river feeding the sea of gun violence.”
Over the past two decades, more than 200 million firearms have been sold in the United States, primarily assault rifles and handguns for personal use. The number of murders, mass shootings and suicides has increased in the country over the years. In 2020 alone, 45,222 US citizens died from guns.
Senate votes on gun law: This is how protection against gun violence could continue in the USA
The US Senate is about to pass a bipartisan package of gun laws. On Tuesday, a corresponding draft law for better protection against gun violence cleared a first hurdle in the Senate. The fact that both parties were able to agree on a legal text on gun law at all is already considered a success. However, in order to pass the law, the Democrats need the support of at least ten Republicans in the House of Representatives. On Tuesday, even more conservatives voted in favor of it, so the law looks set to succeed. The House of Representatives would then have to approve the law.
The Conservatives have a blocking minority in the Senate and have actually been voting against stricter gun laws for decades. It is “the most important law against gun violence in almost 30 years,” wrote Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, who was involved in the negotiations, on Twitter. Critics, on the other hand, say the law doesn’t go far enough. During the election campaign, for example, US President Biden announced that he would ban the sale of assault rifles to private individuals, but this does not appear in the current draft law.
On the other hand, extended background checks are planned for gun buyers under the age of 21. In addition, financial incentives should be created for the states to temporarily remove the guns from potentially dangerous gun owners. In order to improve safety in schools, billions are also to flow and better psychiatric care in the country is also planned according to the draft (AFP/dpa/bm).
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