Contains Opinion of the Writer

New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen ruling in June resulted in a 6-3 conservative Supreme Court’s expansion of the Second Amendment. The verdict has caused lower courts to block or strike down gun control measures at a dizzying pace.

Judges in various parts of the country have said it’s unconstitutional to ban guns that lack serial numbers, to prevent people under felony indictment from buying guns, and to prohibit firearms from airports and even summer camps. I, for one, am glad that the ban is failing, as we need more citizens with guns to protect the innocent. And, of course, it is our right to carry as the Supreme Court majority interpreted the Second Amendment. So the Supreme Court is doing what it is supposed to do, “Protect our Second Amendment right to carry a firearm in public for self-defense.

According to The Hill, in response to the June ruling, Liberal New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a law on July 1 that criminalized the carrying of guns in airports, houses of worship, Times Square, and other sensitive places (the exact places where guns need to be), and imposed heightened licensing requirements. With swiftness, Gun Owners of America challenged the ruling. I appreciate that they did because a federal judge in Syracuse ruled for the gun-rights group, temporarily blocking critical parts of New York law, known as the Concealed Carry Improvement Act (CCIA). In a 53-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Glenn Suddaby said some of the law’s high licensing requirements and location-specific bans — including the prohibition of guns in Times Square — went too far. And it did.

Erich Pratt, Senior Vice President of Gun Owners of America, said, “Anti-gunners like Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams lied and misrepresented the Second Amendment to the courts, putting New Yorkers at a great disadvantage amid rising crime. We are grateful to Judge Suddaby for his quick action to restore the right of the people to keep and bear arms.”

The judge maintained provisions restricting guns from property owned or temporarily banned by the government; polling places; houses of worship, with some exceptions; schools, and public assemblies. I have to say I disagree with the judge’s ruling on this portion because, as I said, our churches and schools need protection, and citizens with guns are more than capable of doing so.

But he blocked gun bans in places of public transportation, summer camps, Times Square, and entertainment venues such as theaters, stadiums, concerts, and bars.

The fight regarding “guns in sensitive places” is not over. There will be continuous battles over the Second Amendment until the end of time, but we must protect our Second Amendment rights against every attack. If we lose our amendments, we may never get them back, specifically the right to defend ourselves.