Janice R. Andrews
Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat, issued a warning in a recent statement, stating that the Supreme Court is “readying to fundamentally rewrite the Second Amendment” in light of its decision to invalidate the federal prohibition on bump stocks. Murphy voiced worries about the court’s recent rulings, which seem to indicate that it is ready to severely curtail Congressional jurisdiction over gun laws, such as background checks and prohibitions on weapons like AR-15s, during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Jake Tapper.
According to Murphy, “This court is poised to make it very hard for Congress or state legislatures to regulate guns and keep our communities and schools safe.”
The conservative-leaning bench’s latest attempt to weaken gun laws is the Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn the federal prohibition on bump stocks. Former President Donald Trump first implemented the restriction in the wake of the 2017 mass massacre in Las Vegas, which left 58 people dead. But a Texas gun dealer was able to successfully fight the prohibition, which brought the matter back into the public eye.
Semi-automatic rifles with bump stocks may fire at rates comparable to fully automatic guns, which is a major source of contention in the gun control debate.
Murphy emphasized the change in Republican backing by pointing out that “bump stocks were outlawed by this Republican government. However, Republicans are once again forming an alliance with the gun business, as the Supreme Court appears poised to strike down the Second Amendment and eliminate safety precautions.”
Murphy’s worries have been echoed by pro-gun control organizations, who caution that the court’s decision may make the nation’s ongoing problems with gun violence worse. On the other hand, a lot of Republicans have applauded the ruling, claiming that the bump stock restriction violated the Second Amendment.
In a different interview with Tapper, Senator Tom Cotton said that the prohibition “treads close” to violating constitutional rights and recommended that the focus be on stopping violent and gang-related crimes.
Even while the Supreme Court’s ruling did not specifically touch the Second Amendment, it has sparked a renewed national conversation on gun control that will likely have a big impact on upcoming legislation. Murphy did, however, find one bright spot: he noted a drop in the number of gun homicides in cities and expressed optimism for further advancements in gun control legislation.
According to Murphy, “We have a lot of work to do to ensure tragedies like Sandy Hook never happen again, but there is reason to believe we are making strides toward safer communities.”
