Huffington Magazine Issue 43 | Page 48

‘WE AREN’T GOING AWAY’ No, the Second Amendment does not extend to a private right to own bazookas, rocket launchers or RPGs [rocket-propelled grenades]. When the Constitution was written, the authors were concerned with making sure citizens would always have the right to own personal arms (long arms and sidearms). It didn’t extend to cannons then, or to ballistic missiles today. The Supreme Court recognized this distinction in the [District of Columbia v.] Heller case (in 2008), which is why severe restrictions on the private ownership of fully automatic firearms imposed in the thirties are seen as legitimate. The Court said the test was whether arms in the hands of the civilian population are widely owned and commonly used for legitimate purposes. It is the explicit language of the Court in its Heller decision that forces me to the conclusion that a ban on semi-automatic long arms such as Senator Feinstein supports will not meet constitutional muster if enacted. There are today more than 4.5 million AR-15s in private hands. They are the most used firearm in training and competitive shooting. They are widely HUFFINGTON 04.07.13 used by hunters (particularly for varmint hunting) and are often the firearm of choice for women seeking a long arm for home protection because of their ease of handling and light recoil. So the NRA’s educational and PR initiatives in effect make banning such weapons all the more difficult because they are becoming more “widely owned and commonly used for legitimate purposes.” We are developing several programs designed to reach beyond our base support because firearms are so much more popular today than they were a decade ago, that far more women, minorities and young people are getting involved in the shooting sports. We’re trying to reach them not simply to talk about gun rights, but to let them know of the many enjoyable activities in which they might want to engage. Where do you see all of this headed? I have said consistently that gun owners and the NRA are going to lose a battle or two as we have in the past. But we aren’t going to lose the war. Moreover, we aren’t going away. We have sometimes taken a decade or more to roll back obnoxious restrictions or pass legislation we believe enhances gun rights, but we have never rolled over or given up.