Provides the first comprehensive post-Heller account of the Second Amendment as constitutional law - dispelling many myths along the way.

Americans have an ambivalent relationship to guns. The debate over the role of guns and gun regulations in American society tends to be acrimonious and misinformed. DeGrazia and Hunt bring the advantages of philosophical analysis to this highly-charged issue in the service of illuminating the strongest possible cases for and against (relatively extensive) gun regulations.

This work illuminates the historical facts behind the current debate about gun-related violence, the Brady Bill and the NRA, including the original meaning and intentions behind the right to "bear arms". It traces its roots to the legacy of English law, leading directly to the Second Amendment

This title examines the roots of the second amendment to the US Constitution, from the history of gun rights in England, to the Founders' reasoning behind the second amendment, and the responsibilities that accompany these rights. Important regulating legislation such as the National Firearms Act Gun Control Act of 1968, and the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act are examined, as well as important court decisions such as District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. City of Chicago. Carry laws and regulations are covered, as are gun rights in other nations, as well as laws in different American states. The debate on gun control is covered, as are the National Rifle Association and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Checkerboard Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

The US Supreme Court recently held that the constitutionality of modern gun laws depends on whether they are "consistent with this Nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation." This landmark judicial decision, which cited an essay in this collection, made it ever more crucial to be clear about what the "historical tradition" entails. The scope of the Second Amendment's right to keep and bear arms, and accordingly the government's power to regulate firearms in the interest of public safety, hangs in the balance. Drawing on original research and sources not available to earlier Supreme Court opinions, New Histories of Gun Rights and Regulations brings together various methodological approaches and highlights issues in firearms law that have been previously underexamined. Its contributors, including distinguished historians, social scientists, and legal scholars, offer valuable new insight into the place of guns in American law and society. This groundbreaking new volume illuminates how history and constitutional law interact, suggesting concrete answers to some live legal controversies. A vital contribution to a vibrant debate, New Histories of Gun Rights and Regulations is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the scope of the Second Amendment--a right whose breadth is frequently defined by its historical treatment.