Earlier this week I returned to the commonwealth from a trip to Washington D.C. While there, I happened to walk past the Supreme Court. Camped outside were about two dozen or so folks. Although they were not vocal bunch (at least at the time when I passed by), I noticed each had a blue and white sign bearing such slogans as “Guns save lives” or “Protect our second amendment rights.” It then hit me that they were demonstrating regarding the current court case as to whether D.C.’s ban on handguns (and other assorted strict restrictions) was constitutional. Growing up in the Shenandoah Valley, I have been around firearms for as long as I can remember and therefore a discussion of the legality of guns has never really been a hot topic. Sure, after the various school shootings, Columbine and VA Tech being the most well remembered examples, you would see some distraught parent or activist on TV calling for stricter gun laws, but those outcries would dissipate with time. I think that most folks in this area realize that a gun is merely a tool that can be used for either good or ill, depending on the intentions of its owner.

To me, a firearm serves three legitimate purposes. First we have hunting. In this region especially, sportsmen hunt all sorts of prey, be it deer, bear, squirrels, or any other sort of wild animal. Some do it for food, some for recreation, and others still to thin animal overpopulation. I confess that I have never gone hunting myself, but the tradition of hunting is older than civilization itself and serves many valuable functions. The second purpose is self-defense. Unfortunately threats can come up at anytime and anywhere and a loaded weapon is a valuable tool for protection. Many times the weapon does not even need to be used, but the mere sight of it can deter thieves and those who seek to do bodily harm. For example, if an assailant came up to me brandishing a gun, I assure you that I would not be thinking, “This situation could have been avoided if we had tougher gun laws in this country”. Instead, if I were unarmed, I would think, “I wish I had a gun with me right now.” Think about it; get inside the mind of a criminal. If you were looking to rob one of your otherwise identical neighbors and you knew there were a gun in your house to your right, but no gun in the house to your left, which would you choose? Assuming you had some shred of rationality, you would logically choose the house without the gun. No doubt this statistic explains why there are significantly more crimes per capita in D.C. than in most other major cities in the country. Lastly, individual ownership of firearms acts as a deterrence against the tyranny of the government. If our founding fathers did not have access to guns, I’m fairly certain that the United States would still be a possession of the British crown. But some liberals among you might argue, “sure, but guns are no longer needed to protect us against the government today,” you should remind them that as totalitarian governments seek to further their stranglehold on political power, they often reduce or eliminate the populace’s ability to defend itself. Although there is no need to take up arms against our government today, the threat of tyranny still exists and gun ownership helps ensure our lasting freedom.

So, as we await the fateful decision of these nine justices, one has to be at least a little apprehensive. Although it appears that they will rule in favor of individual gun rights, the nagging worry still exists. Don’t think the court could make such a stupid mistake? If you will recall, a couple of erroneous court decisions back in 1973 have since led to the deaths of millions of Americans through supposed constitutional right of abortion. Nevertheless one issue remains certain. If for some reason the court upholds the D.C. ban on handguns, new laws and restrictions will begin to pop up in many states across the country. We will be one step closer to the banning of all guns, and, as the saying goes, “If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.” I would not like to think what a grim future would be in store for us all.