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Justices: Gun Right Guaranteed to Individuals

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Second Amendment of the Constitution guarantees an individual right to bear arms. That's a huge shift in constitutional law. It is the first time the Supreme Court has unequivocally taken this position on the Second Amendment.

The decision came in a challenge to Washington, D.C.'s gun ban. The nation's capital has one of the strictest gun laws in the country.

It's been almost 70 years since the Supreme Court ruled on the Second Amendment. In that decision, the justices suggested that the amendment is limited to a collective right to own weapons. That's the position the Justice Department has generally held, but this Justice Department, under President Bush, has taken a different position.

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Ari Shapiro has been one of the hosts of All Things Considered, NPR's award-winning afternoon newsmagazine, since 2015. During his first two years on the program, listenership to All Things Considered grew at an unprecedented rate, with more people tuning in during a typical quarter-hour than any other program on the radio.
Renee Montagne, one of the best-known names in public radio, is a special correspondent and host for NPR News.