Ann Hermes / The Christian Science Monitor
How much do you know about the Second Amendment? A quiz.
After decades of inactivity, the US Supreme Court in 2008 began a major reexamination of the scope of the right to keep and bear arms, an issue that has long ignited passionate debate and prompted powerful political lobbying.
How well do you understand this constitutional evolution? Take our quiz to test your knowledge.
8. In the 1939 case, US v. Miller, two men were caught with an unlicensed sawed-off, double-barrel shotgun that they had transported from Oklahoma to Arkansas. They claimed the federal license requirement violated their Second Amendment rights. What did the court decide?
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The Constitution protects the gun rights of all Americans, even those seeking specialized weapons that might be used in a violent criminal enterprise. |
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Congress lacks the necessary authority under the commerce clause to regulate firearms, which are already regulated by state and local law enforcement agencies. |
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Jack Miller and his lawyer couldn’t afford the trip to Washington to argue the case so the court dismissed it. |
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A shotgun with a barrel of less than 18 inches lacks any reasonable relationship to a well regulated militia. Since the weapon would not be useful to a militia, it was beyond the protection of the Second Amendment. |