Supreme Court - Guns Guns Guns...........

It is so hard for Canadians to understand America's love of guns - the unshakeable belief by Americans that guns are their birthright. When I was in Wichita, I never stopped being amazed by the "No Guns" signs on public places - malls, stores, public buildings. Of course there shouldn't be guns in these places. There shouldn't be guns in anyone's home. No where, no how.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Americans have a constitutional right to keep guns in their homes for self-defense. This ruling is the first major pronouncement on gun control in U.S. history. The court's 5-4 ruling struck down the District of Columbia's 32-year-old ban on handguns as incompatible with gun rights under the Second Amendment. The capital's gun law was among the nation's strictest. Just what the world needs - more guns.


Justic Scalia's opinion dealt almost exclusively with self-defense in the home, acknowledging only briefly in his lengthy historical analysis that early Americans also valued gun rights because of hunting. Scalia noted that the handgun is Americans' preferred weapon of self-defense in part because "it can be pointed at a burglar with one hand while the other hand dials the police."

If you want to read Obama's and McCain's responses (and other responses from the blogosphere, look here.

Gun ownership as a fundamental right? Maybe 200 years ago. In a civilized, industrialized nation? That right should not be sacred. Stop the madness........