How the Supreme Court is Handling Cases of Domestic Gun Violence

By: Madeleine Burke

With the second amendment being a hotly debated topic in current events, it’s no surprise that the amendment will soon be taken to the Supreme Court yet again. Why will this recent case be different? Well, the court will decide whether domestic abusers have the right to bear arms. 

There are two main reasons why this case is important when it comes to gun violence. The first is that people with a history of domestic violence probably shouldn’t be able to get their hands on a gun. The second, and more important reason, is concerned with the safety of domestic violence victims. With one in four women being victim to domestic abuse, a regulation on the second amendment for abusers is a necessity. One would think that because of those reasons the court would support restrictions on this amendment immediately. However at the moment, there is no telling how the court will handle this case next term.

While we may not be able to predict the future, we can always confront the past to see how the Supreme Court may handle this case. For instance, in 2008 the court concluded that the second amendment protected the individual right to bear firearms for self defense purposes. However, with a republican majority sitting on the court in the status quo, change is very unlikely when it comes to gun laws. For instance, a recent 6-3 majority decision concluded that the New York laws restricting civilians from carrying a concealed handgun in public was in violation of the second amendment. The ruling in 2008 was only concerned with carrying a gun within your home but this recent decision permits citizens to carry them outside of homes as well. 

Why does this matter to us? Well, recent data from May of 2023 concluded that over 13,000 people have been killed from gun violence in the U.S. Republican majorities are causing restrictions to be looser with every case. Domestic gun violence is only the beginning. Constitutional change begins in the courts. 

To find out more: 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/30/politics/guns-domestic-violence-supreme-court/index.html 

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/30/us/politics/supreme-court-gun-laws-domestic-violence.html