Former Supreme Court Justice Suggests Repealing the Second Amendment

John Paul Stevens, a former Supreme Court Justice, has written an op-ed published by The New York Times today on why lawmakers should repeal the Second Amendment on the right to bear arms.

On March 24, the movement March for Our Lives rallied in favor of gun control in Washington D.C. along with hundreds of other major cities. Thousands of people gathered in the demonstrations following the deadly mass shooting in Parkland, Florida in February.

Stevens’ op-ed was published shortly after witnessing this, which he noted in the article.

“Rarely in my lifetime have I seen the type of civic engagement schoolchildren and their supporters demonstrated in Washington and other major cities throughout the country this past Saturday,” said Stevens. “These demonstrations demand our respect. They reveal the broad public support for legislation to minimize the risk of mass killings of schoolchildren and others in our society.”

Stevens, a Republican, goes on to note that, while the Second Amendment might have been favorable in the 18th century, it is no longer suitable for the world today.

“Concern that a national standing army might pose a threat to the security of the separate states led to the adoption of that amendment, which provides that a ‘well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed,'” Stevens said. “Today that concern is a relic of the 18th century.”

Stevens continues in his op-ed by urging readers to re-consider what tragedies gun violence has exposed the United States to in recent years. By noting experiences from his own time as Supreme Court Justice and decisions that he says were wrong of him, Stevens is using this op-ed to persuade readers into re-considering their opinions if they are still in favor of the Second Amendment. The full op-ed is available here  in The New York Times.