The Heller decision stated that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual’s right to possess a firearm for traditionally lawful purposes, including self-defense in the home and within federal enclaves. This case gave rise to the Supreme Court’s later decision in McDonald v. Chicago (2010) in which it held that the Second Amendment extended beyond federal enclaves to the states.Remarkably, this was the first Supreme Court case in US history to address whether the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms for self-defense.
The case arose when Dick Heller challenged the law of the District of Columbia prohibiting him from keeping a gun in his home for self-defense. Heller already carried a gun in federal office buildings while on duty as a licensed special police officer for the District of Columbia. While living in southeast D.C. near a public housing complex project since 1970, he had seen the neighborhood “transformed from a child-friendly welfare complex to a drug haven”. Heller believed the Constitution guaranteed his right to protect himself with a firearm inside his own home.
The prospects for his case were not always certain, but thanks to the personal resolve of Richard Heller and the dedication of his attorneys, we have a stronger basis to defend our freedom and safety.
