Opinion of the Court
The District of Columbia’s Ban on Handguns for Private Use Violates the Second Amendment
The following is excerpted from the summary of the majority opinion written by Justice Scalia, as prepared by the Court Reporter of Decisions: The SecondAmendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected withservice in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes,such as self-defense within the home. TheAmendment’s prefatory clause announces a purpose, but does not limit or expandthe scope of the second part, the operative clause. The operative clause’s textand history demonstrate that it connotes an individual right to keep and beararms. Theprefatory clause comports with the Court’s interpretation of the…
