Benton praises U.S. Supreme Court for upholding the Constitution

June 26, 2008

OLYMPIA…The U.S. Supreme Court today overturned a ban on firearms in Washington D.C., saying "The District's ban on handgun possession in the home violates the Second Amendment, as does its prohibition against rendering any lawful firearm in the home operable for the purpose of immediate self-defense." The Second Amendment provides: “The right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

After learning of the landmark decision, Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, issued this statement:

“I’m very pleased today to see the Supreme Court rule in favor of upholding the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. This is a victory for private citizens all across the country.

“More and more we see activist judges taking away the freedoms guaranteed to us by the wisdom of our forefathers, and it’s good to know that common sense and rationality still exist in our nation’s highest court. The more you take away the freedoms of individuals, the closer you get to fascism, and that’s what many Americans gave their lives to protect us from in the 1940s.

“While it remains to be seen how today’s ruling will affect the recent push in this state to ban firearms, I think that this decision will instill private citizens in Washington with more confidence knowing that their constitutionally-protected right to defend themselves and their property will be upheld by the nation’s highest court.”

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Additional Contact: Penny Drost (360) 786-7522 or drost.penny@leg.wa.gov