The supreme court just release a decision restoring the repealed 2nd amendment rights of Washington, DC citizens. The court split 5-4, so effectively the 2nd amendment only survived by the barest of margins.

Paraphrasing the decision here, but the majority headed by Justice Scalia (second longest sitting justice and Ronald Reagan appointee) upheld the right to bear arms saying their interpretation of “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” is easy to understand, it means what it says. He was backed and supported by Justice Anthony Kennedy (a Ronald Reagan appointee) who had earlier said (once again paraphrasing here) he believed strongly in an individual's right to self protection and interpreted the 2nd as it was written.

The 4 dissenters, headed by Justice John Paul Stevens (the oldest sitting justice, and Gerald Ford appointee) said 'the right to keep and bear arms' clause refers to the militia, not the people. Another dissenter, Justice Stephen Breyer (a Bill Clinton appointee) has said handgun crime is out of control. He felt the ruling hampered DC's ability to govern. Never mind the fact that only law abiding citizens are going to obey the gun ban in the first place, of course leaving criminals the only ones with guns.

More than five years after six Washington, D.C. residents challenged the city’s 32-year-old ban on all functional firearms in the home (why do you suppose DC's a pit of unchecked crime?), the US Supreme Court has ruled the ban unconstitutional.

I wonder how it'll go next time if Senator Obama is elected and appoints another liberal justice who can't read. Any of you BO supporters own guns out there? Let's hear from you on this.