NCJ Number
143217
Date Published
1991
Length
40 pages
Annotation
The Center to Prevent Handgun Violence prepared this booklet urging educators to instill in students a proper understanding of the Second Amendment so that they can discuss issues of gun control from an informed perspective.
Abstract
The authors maintain that the Second Amendment is unique among the Bill of Rights in that there is no judicial controversy over its meaning, which was to assure the continuation and effectiveness of State militia forces. Supreme Court rulings quoted here indicate that the Second Amendment does not ensure each individual the freedom to own a gun and that governmental restrictions on the sale and use of firearms do not infringe upon constitutionally protected liberties. The authors reviewed 40 leading U.S. history and civics textbooks to evaluate their presentation of Second Amendment issues. They found that half the texts reviewed were incorrect or ambiguous in their statements; some suggested that gun control laws are unconstitutional while others simply failed to link the right to bear arms with service in the militia. The authors recommend that textbooks contain a simple statement to the effect that the Second Amendment upholds one's right to serve in State militias, but the courts have rejected arguments that it protects the ownership of guns for personal use. 3 appendixes