June 23, 2022, Washington, D.C. — Today a conservative supermajority in the Supreme Court issued a decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen, finding that there is a constitutional right to carry a handgun outside the home for self defense. The ruling overturns a New York State law that has stood for more than a hundred years and which has deep historical roots going back to the founding days of the nation.
Today’s ruling is egregiously wrong. It ignores hundreds of years of history, invalidates a century-old law, and upends decades of settled jurisprudence in order to advance the NRA’s dangerous “guns everywhere” agenda. This ruling will mean more guns in more places, which will inevitably lead to more tragic acts of vigilantism, gun violence, and preventable deaths. As the Senate is set to vote on a bipartisan gun safety package, heeding the demands of the public for action, the Court has proven how out of step it is with the American people.
Jonathan Lowy, Brady Chief Counsel and Vice President of Legal
“The Court is hell-bent on making the Second Amendment into a super right that can trump all other rights. That is madness. This decision is radical judicial extremism at its worst, and Americans will die as a result. But we cannot allow the radicals on this Court, from the sanctity of their well-protected chambers, to doom us all to the gun lobby’s guns everywhere vision. We must continue to fight for strong laws, and fight to defend those laws, and I know all of us will continue to do that.”
Eric Tirschwell, Chief Litigation Counsel at Everytown Law
“Today’s Supreme Court decision in NYSRPA v. Bruen is wrong, it’s dangerous, and it’s out of touch with the bipartisan majority of U.S. Senators who just voted to advance major gun safety legislation for the first time in 26 years. Today’s ruling makes it even more clear that it’s time for the U.S. Senate to act – and to finish what it started and pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.”
Esther Sanchez-Gomez, Senior Litigation Attorney at Giffords Law Center
“The decision authored by Justice Thomas dangerously elevates the Second Amendment above other important and constitutionally-protected rights. In the face of more guns in public spaces, it will be imperative to regulate and educate regarding the use of firearms in self-defense. Let us be clear—it is not lawful in any context for firearms to be used offensively in our ordered society. American ideals of life and liberty are incompatible with vigilante justice. Our legislators can and must take into consideration the epidemic of gun violence our country is experiencing, the public’s calls to action, and the efficacy of laws to prevent that. We’ll continue to defend those important laws, which are and continue to be entirely consistent with the Second Amendment.”
Yvin Shin, Judicial Advocacy Associate at March For Our Lives
“Young people will die because the Supreme Court has decided to elevate the Second Amendment at the expense of every other constitutional right we’re promised, and in the face years of settled constitutional jurisprudence. It is clear once again that the Supreme Court of today is an undemocratic political animal, more interested in scoring political points than protecting the lives of children. Guns are the leading cause of death for children, and in the midst of this surge in gun violence the Court is tying one hand behind our backs and telling young people that our lives aren’t worth saving. Enough is enough. We will fight for our lives.”
Our organizations will continue to stand with the overwhelming majority of Americans who support lifesaving gun safety laws, and we will not allow the NRA to deprive the public of the right to enact measures to protect ourselves from gun violence.
Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.
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