Supreme Court Rules American Citizens Have Right to Own Guns

Supreme Court Rules American Citizens Have Right to Own Guns
The U.S. high court says 32-year-old Washington, DC gun ban is unconstitutional. Transcript of radio broadcast:
27 June 2008

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

On Thursday, the United States Supreme Court issued a historic ruling on the right of Americans to own guns. The nation's highest court ruled that the United States Constitution protects the rights of individuals to own handguns for self-defense in their homes. Five justices supported the decision. Four opposed it.
The decision overturned a thirty-two-year-old ban on handguns in Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court majority ruled that the gun control law in the nation's capital made it too difficult to own a handgun. The Court also struck down the city's requirement that larger guns kept at home must be taken apart or have locks.

Legal experts have long debated the meaning of the Second Amendment to the Constitution, which was written more than two hundred years ago. Some experts argued that the amendment guaranteed the right of individuals to own guns. Others argued that it only applied to state militias, armies of citizens. That amendment says: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." The Court ruled that this does not limit gun ownership to service in a militia.

Justice John Paul Stevens was among the four in the minority who strongly opposed the ruling. He said decisions about gun control should be made by legislatures.

However, the Court recognized that the individual right to have a gun is not unlimited. It said the ruling does not mean that laws against carrying hidden weapons should be ended.

The Court noted that other long-standing gun restrictions remain in effect. These restrictions include a ban on the possession of guns by convicted criminals and the mentally ill. They also include laws that ban weapons from being carried into schools and government buildings.

Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty said he was not happy with the Supreme Court ruling. He said he believes that more handguns in the city will mean more gun violence. Several other American cities also ban handguns and other weapons.

President Bush welcomed the decision. The White House released a statement saying the president strongly agrees with the Court's majority opinion.

Republican Party presidential candidate John McCain praised the decision as a major victory for freedom in the United States.

Democratic Party presidential candidate Barack Obama also released a statement on the Court ruling. He said it would help guide local communities trying to balance the right of gun owners with the need to protect citizens in high crime areas.

The last time the Supreme Court dealt with the Second Amendment and gun ownership was in nineteen thirty-nine. However, at that time the Court did not directly settle the question of whether individual citizens have a right to have guns.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, written by Brianna Blake. You can find scripts and download audio on our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.


----------------------------Google Translate

最高法院规则的美国公民都有权拥有枪支
美国高等法院说，今年32岁，华盛顿特区枪禁令是违宪的。全文电台广播：
2008年6月27日

这是在新闻中在美国之音特别英语。

对周四，美国最高法院发出了历史性的裁决权的美国人拥有枪支。国家的最高法庭裁定，美国宪法保障个人的权利，以自己的手枪是为了自卫，在他们的家园。 5名法官支持的决定。四反对。
决定推翻了32年楼龄的禁令手枪在华盛顿特区最高法院的多数裁定，枪支管制法的国家的首都作出太大的困难，自己的手枪。法院还否决市政府的规定，较大的枪留在家里，必须采取除或有锁。

法律专家有长期辩论的意义，第二次宪法修正案，这是书面超过二百年前。一些专家认为，修正案保证个人有权自己的枪。其他人也说，它仅适用于国家的民兵的武装，军队的公民。该修正案说： “一，以及规管的民兵，正在必要的安全一个自由国家，人民的权利，以保持和携带武器，不得侵犯” 。法院裁定，这并不限制枪所有制服务中的民兵。

司法约翰保罗史蒂文斯，其中四中的少数谁的强烈反对执政党。他说，决定有关枪支管制应该由立法机关。

不过，法院承认，个人权利有一个枪并非是无限的。它说，执政党并不意味着对法律进行隐藏的武器应该结束。

法院指出，其他长期常委会枪的限制仍然有效。这些限制包括禁止对私藏枪支被定罪的罪犯和精神病患者。它们还包括法律禁止的武器从正进行到学校和政府建筑物内。

华盛顿哥伦比亚特区市长阿德里安fenty说，他并不乐意与最高法院的裁决。他说，他认为，更多的手枪在这个城市将意味着更多的枪支暴力。其他几个美国城市，也禁止手枪和其他武器。

布什总统的决定表示欢迎。白宫发表声明说，总统强烈同意法院的多数成员的意见。

共和两党总统候选人约翰麦凯恩赞扬的决定作为一项重大的胜利，自由在美国。

民主党总统候选人巴拉克奥巴马也发表了一份声明，对法院的裁决。他说，这将有助于引导当地社区的尝试，以平衡权利枪业主的需要，保护公民，在犯罪率高的地区。

最后的时间，最高法院处理的第二项修正案和枪支所有权是在1939年。然而，在那个时候，法院并没有直接解决的问题：是否公民个人都有权有枪。

这是在新闻中在美国之音特别英语，写的brianna布雷克。你可以找到脚本和下载音频在我们的网站上， voaspecialenglish.com 。我史蒂夫ember 。