Glossary
District of Columbia v. Heller (2008)
A landmark Supreme Court case that ruled the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to possess firearms for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense at home.
Example:
The ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller struck down D.C.'s handgun ban, solidifying the individual right to bear arms.
Due Process Clause
A clause in the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments that prohibits the government from depriving a person of life, liberty, or property without fair legal procedures.
Example:
The Supreme Court used the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to incorporate the Second Amendment against state and local governments.
Fourteenth Amendment
An amendment to the U.S. Constitution that grants citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. and guarantees equal protection of the laws and due process, crucial for applying the Bill of Rights to the states.
Example:
The Fourteenth Amendment was pivotal in extending civil liberties protections, originally only against the federal government, to state actions.
Individual Right to Self-Defense
An interpretation of the Second Amendment that views 'the right of the people' as an individual's right to own firearms for personal protection.
Example:
Many gun rights advocates argue for the individual right to self-defense, believing it allows citizens to own firearms for protection in their homes.
March for Our Lives
A student-led movement advocating for stricter gun control legislation in the United States, formed after the 2018 Parkland school shooting.
Example:
After tragic school shootings, March for Our Lives organized nationwide protests to demand legislative action on gun violence.
McDonald v. Chicago (2010)
A landmark Supreme Court case that ruled the Second Amendment's right to bear arms for self-defense is applicable to states and local governments through the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause.
Example:
Following McDonald v. Chicago, states could no longer enact blanket bans on handgun ownership, as the Second Amendment was incorporated.
Militia-Only Interpretation
An interpretation of the Second Amendment that views the right to bear arms as applicable only in the context of a 'well-regulated militia,' emphasizing collective security over individual gun ownership.
Example:
Proponents of stricter gun control often cite the militia-only interpretation to argue that the Second Amendment does not protect widespread private gun ownership.
National Rifle Association (NRA)
A prominent American gun rights advocacy group that lobbies against gun control legislation and promotes firearm ownership.
Example:
The National Rifle Association frequently mobilizes its members to oppose new gun regulations proposed in Congress.
Original Intent (Second Amendment)
The historical understanding that the Second Amendment was primarily designed to ensure states could maintain militias, independent of federal control, as a check on potential government overreach.
Example:
Some historians argue that the original intent of the Second Amendment was solely to support state militias, not individual gun ownership for any purpose.
Second Amendment
A part of the Bill of Rights that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms, often debated regarding its scope.
Example:
The ongoing debate over gun control in the United States frequently centers on different interpretations of the Second Amendment.
Selective Incorporation
The process by which the Supreme Court has applied most, but not all, of the Bill of Rights to the states through the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Example:
The application of the Second Amendment to the states in McDonald v. Chicago is a prime example of selective incorporation.