The National Association for Gun Rights Praises Supreme Court for Ruling that Affirms the Individual Right to Carry

  |  
Jun 23, 2022

On June 23, 2022, the Supreme Court ruled that New York State’s “may-issue” carry restriction is unconstitutional, thus upholding the Second Amendment rights of lawful Americans.

Before the ruling, the state of New York had required concealed carry applicants to demonstrate a “special need” outside of self-defense to acquire a concealed carry license.  

The Supreme Court struck down this requirement, which affirmed the right to carry in public. In addition, the Court threw out the “intermediate scrutiny” approach that appellate courts turned to. Instead, the Court ruled that the application of the Second Amendment should be the history, text, and tradition of the right to keep and bear arms.

“This a massive victory for the Second Amendment and the rights of law-abiding gun owners everywhere,” declared Dudley Brown, President of the National Association for Gun Rights. “The Second Amendment is an individual right, and no law-abiding gun owner should be denied the right to carry a firearm for personal protection while in public – and thankfully the Court has now affirmed it.”

New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen is the first major Second Amendment case the Supreme Court has taken up in over a decade. Justice Clarence Thomas issued the following opinion: 

The Court has little difficulty concluding also that the plain text of the Second Amendment protects Koch’s and Nash’s proposed course of conduct—carrying handguns publicly for self-defense. Nothing in the Second Amendment’s text draws a home/public distinction with respect to the right to keep and bear arms, and the definition of “bear” naturally encompasses public carry. Moreover, the Second Amendment guarantees an “individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation,” id., at 592, and confrontation can surely take place outside the home.

“In turn, today’s ruling overturns similar laws in six other states: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, and Massachusetts,” remarked Hannah Hill, Research and Policy Director for The National Foundation for Gun Rights. NFGR is the legal branch of NAGR. “The Foundation will be doing everything in its power to help restore the right to carry for law-abiding Americans in these states, and we’re eager to work with our members who’ve had their rights denied for far too long.”

For their part, the NFGR submitted an amicus brief in the Bruen case where it made the case in favor of affirming the right to carry. That amicus brief can be viewed here.

“At the state level, our mission has been laser focused on passing Constitutional Carry and restoring gun rights. With this pro-gun ruling from the Court, we are now better equipped to engage our members to lobby their elected officials and demand that they stop restricting the right to keep and bear arms.” Brown said in a concluding statement.  

Democrats have been rocked by this ruling. 

New York Governor Kathy Hochul tweeted the following: 

It is outrageous that at a moment of national reckoning on gun violence, the Supreme Court has recklessly struck down a New York law that limits those who can carry concealed weapons.

Hochul added: 

In response to this ruling, we are closely reviewing our options – including calling a special session of the legislature. 

Just as we swiftly passed nation-leading gun reform legislation, I will continue to do everything in my power to keep New Yorkers safe from gun violence.

Has this latest Supreme Court ruling made liberals entertain the idea of nullification and state sovereignty? 

Given their universalist political outlook, it’s doubtful. Nevertheless, it’s amusing to watch woke liberals suddenly become in favor of state’s rights whenever they constantly demonize it as a vestige of white supremacy. 

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