"When the next campus massacre takes place in the US as it surely will do, the pro-gun lobby will say it is a price worth paying for liberty as they bury the dead students."

Are you aware, Brian, that there has never once been a campus massacre on a campus that allows students to carry guns?

Johnathan Price, Hove, UK

This was a monumental and well-written Supreme Court decision in favor of a simple, ageless, common-sense truth: government cannot abrogate a good citizen's right and solemn responsibility to defend his life and property from an immediate criminal assault and theft. The DC city gov't is a mess.

Harrison, Anchorage, Alaska

Why are non Americans commenting on this? This is our internal business! Please butt out and while your at it stop trying to "fix" Americans and turn us into Europeans. Americans have their own identity and are quite happy with it! Thank you very much."Cheers"

Eric, Raleigh, USA

From most comments on this board, Americans are happy with their guns laws.
People from other countries have problems with American gun laws, but if it is Americans getting killed, WHY DO PEOPLE FROM OTHER COUNTRIES CARE????

Ruth, NYC, USA

In order to ensure a safe police state; the right of the people to keep and bear arms must be infringed.

Lynn, Volusia Co., FL,

By carrying a .45 with one in the chamber, I am safer in the violent city in which I live (Jacksonville FL) We are not afraid of the law-abiding citizens who carry guns (there are many) But of the crazed felons who are carjacking and strong arm robbing people every day.

Charles, Jacksonville, USA

32 years ago Washington DC banned ownership of all handguns. Today after 1 1/2 generations Washington's murder rate is higher than before the law was enacted. Hoodlums and gang bangers know they can break into any home and they (the criminals) will be the only one armed. Let us defend ourselves!

Fred, Longwood, USA

What have we got to be proud of ? Gun control has failed in the UK. All that has happened is that handguns were taken away from the law abiding to appease the electorate.
Those who chose not to abide by the law still use & carry handguns & the law appears powerless to stop it.
Well done USA.

DC, Nogunsallowed, UK

What a lot of folks simply are AFRAID to admit is that the Second Amendment exists solely to allow *the people* a means to kill their government, should it become too oppressive. It's just about there, as far as I'm concerned.

Kenny Phillips, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

The English Right to bear arms taken from the English Declaration of Rights of 1689 was limited to Protestants, "That the subjects which are Protestants, may have arms for their defence suitable to their conditions, and as allowed by law."

Our right is universal and always was.

David. B. Monier-Williams, Scottsdale, US Arizona

Ron, Milton
You of all countries should know "our militia is our army".
And it there to defend against any tyranical government that may attack us, "The People". Perhaps one day even our own.

Ed, Atlanta, US

Dear Nick from London,

I think you should change your last name, it doesn't apply. I own nine guns. I think I'll buy my tenth to honor Justice Scalia.

Rick, Warwick, USA

To Brian O'Connell
When the next nut case attempts a massacre, there will now be a better chance that a law abiding person with a gun will be able to stop it. Everywhere in this country that concealed weaons have been allowed, violent crime has been reduced! Responsible gun ownership works.

Jody, Nebraska, USA

Where I live almost all hunt and go target shootind. Many are licensed to carry. Our crime rate is very low. Washington D.C. has a very strict gun law and their crime and murders are out of sight. The same is true in Detroit, Chicago, New York and Philadelphia.

Tom, Leeper, U. S. of A.

Statistics quoted by gun nuts claiming guns decrease crime are totally misinterpreted- cities have more crime and less guns per person than rural areas with farmers- due to the nature of them being cities or rural areas, so asserting guns reduce crime is an absurd assumption.

Nick Freeman, London,

I'm a police officer here in the states and this is a good ruling. The people have the right to defend themselves. In america contrary to what you may want to believe but Doctors Kill more people each year than handguns.That is according to the US Gov't. IF you don't like our laws don't come here.

Gerald, Birmingham, Alabama, USA

You see, in America our rights are not granted to us by the government. We retain both the right and the duty to keep the government under our control.

And i will quote a British gentleman from 1775 “The possession of arms is the distinction between a freeman and a slave.”

Robert Coelho, Woodbury, USA

Our incompetent politicians are mostly taking guns away from law-abiding citizens, who cannot always count on the police/courts to protect them. Crooks, crazies, and gang bangers don't care about laws and regulations, and can get illegal guns for the right price anywhere.

Midwest Mike, Sioux City, Iowa, USA

I am a British expatriate, now living in Arizona. Most adult men here have guns. I carry one (legally) every day. The murder rate in my city is about the same as the UK's, and the overall violent crime rate is not even one-tenth as high. Guns are not the problem.

Christopher, Scottsdale, Arizona

If current trends in UK crime continue.

I supsect that it won't be much longer before Englishmen rediscover their Ancient Rights and demand them back with interest.

rickw, London / Melbourne,

This is awful. This dangerous ignorant patriotism that holds the US constitution above common sense will only see more deaths from irresponsible gun owners. The constitution was written in completely different circumstances to today, and article 2 is no longer relevant!

Nick Freeman, London,

While everyone else around the world can turn in their guns, and depend on governments and the UN to do good, we as Americans will defend our freedoms. I guess all you people forgot about the tyranny of Hitler, and Stalin. They supported civilian disarmament too. This is not a new idea.

TJ, NY, USA

I personally know four people who have used a handgun to protect themselves against criminal attack in the last two years. In one case it was in the home, in the others, in or approaching their vehicles.Thank God for our right to carry. One which I exercise and is recognized by 33 other States.

Gotzvb, Tampa, FL

The US has a short memory remember Columbine, Wesley Higdon, the Washington sniper, Virginia Tech, the Capitol Hill massacre and Red Lake High School etc tec ....? I sure am all the victims are proud of their liberty because of some 217 year old law. The 2nd amendment is pathetic and out of date.

Jambon, London, UK

Another dumb decision from a bunch of Bush cronies.

Watch the killing rate go up in USA.

Roger, Brisbane, Australia

Instead of condemning Americans for our gun rights, why dont you Brits research the significant increase in England gun crime over the last 10 years. That will open your eyes.

Matt, Houston, USA

Robert Helien wrote that an armed society is a polite society.
----
Tell that to the people of Afghanistan (esp during Taliban rule) or Somalia. They're all armed like crazy and nobody is free nor are their societies polite.

Justin, DC, USA

It's funny watching all the anti-gun people scream about this decision, which is nothing more than an AFFIRMATION of what was already in the Constitution. Furthermore, crime of any type is commited by criminals, regardless of guns. How're those KNIFINGS going over there in your defensless society?

Seraphym, Orlando, FL, USA

Oh come on, if they got rid of the peoples guns, the ones that are doing the violent crimes with them would STILL have them. Illegal or not, they'll still be in the hands of crazies and murderers. Don't kid yourself.

Nick, Port Orchard,

"The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to allow the subjected people to carry arms. History shows that all conquerors who have allowed their subjected peoples to carry arms have prepared their own fall." — Adolf Hitler, Edict of 18 March 1939

John, Scottsbluff, ne, USA

Crazy!! The 2nd Ammendment is over 200 years old...surely it's time to change it to reflect more enlightened times, unless of course they haven't yet arrived in the USA . Next, they will be upholding the right of animal and human sacrifice because it's 'enshrined' in the Bible.

John L. Henry, Vancouver, Canada

IF I lived in the US I would have a gun because everyone else does. I would certainly be more dangerous with a gun. There have been a number of situations in my placcid life where I would have picked it up if it was available and God knows what would have happened.

Change the constitution.

Talese Amer, London_town, UK

Finally some sanity

Comments from the UK need not apply. Just one word Neil Entwistle

Desmond Deluth, California, USA

The District's ban on handguns was silly considering that you could walk across the border into VA and MD and legally purchase a handgun, not to mention that there is plenty of crime spillover to and from PG County, MD (e.g. gun trafficking), making the ban useless for crime prevention. Good ruling.

MLS, Mt. Pleasant, Washington, DC, USA

In cities guns are a menace. Hand guns since they can be hidden are even more of a menace. If the Washington DC cannot ban hand guns I recommend the the city government require that anyone who registers a weapon have a $1,000,000 insurance policy on each gun they own. Think auto insurance.

David, Washington DC, United States

Not being shot is an important freedom, too. I am 50 times less likely to be murdered by shooting than a US resident is.

Frank Upton, Solihull,

After 9-11 and the growth of our government domestic spying is it any wonder the public is worried? The rights of citizens to keep arms it to keep a despotic government from disarming us and leaving us helpless to their whims, like in Burma. US history teaches us that. Our Founding Fathers said it.

William, Atlanta, USA

Brian O'Connell, note how many of the mass slaughterings occurred in so-called "gun free" zones. I wonder how many could have been saved had one of the victims been armed as in the Colorado church shooting where a citizen was armed and shot the killer before others died while waiting on the police?

Austin Shaver, Lenoir City, Tennessee, USA

At the m09ment the law protects morons: if Don's wife carries a gun every day, there is, statistically, nine time the likelihood that she will shoot him than anyone else.

jim cormick, buenos aires, argentina

One town in Illinois banned all guns in their town and the crime rate went up 95%. A town in Georgia made it a law that everyone over 21 had to own a gun there crime rate was one attempted rape and one attempted robbery. Like I said attempted because those two won't ever be able to try again.

George, Driggs, USA

Adrian in Sacramento said that he doesn't have a problem with someone having a gun in their home for self-defense but he believes that it should be illegal to carry one in public.

Huh? I'm A LOT more safe in my own home than I am walking around in public! I'll carry in public too, thank you!

Jan, Atlanta, GA, USA

To those of you making the ridiculous assumption that this ruling will lead to more school shootings, heres something to ponder
Cho committed at least 4 felonies before he even started shooting at Va Tech. Do you think 1 more law would have stopped him? No. But 1 armed student could have.

Greg, Chesapeake, USA

If guns kill people, do pens misspell words? The DC gun ban proves that such bans do not prevent violence. We are a country of laws, and only the lawful obey those laws; criminals don't.

I do agree that the government may regulate the purchase and sale of guns.

Paul , New Fairfield, CT, USA

The big picture is indeed that one judge could of turned America into a police state. Obama sat on the board of the Joyce Foundation in Chicago which provided millions to promote the ban of individual gun ownership. Obama has also voted in Illinios to ban gun ownership.

ernie, baltimore, usa

Long live the Second Amendment

When governments fear the people there is liberty. When the people fear the government there is tyranny
--Thomas Jefferson

Rob, Sparta, NJ, USA

Hey America - any chance we could borrow your judges, ours are all spineless and senile. My country hasn't yet realised that making handguns illegal merely disarms the law abiding - and as we're led by politically correct sheep they can't / won't rethink this elemental misconception.

Pete R., Stoke-on-Trent, UK

Never give up your firearms, US citizens. They are your last defence against tyranny. Too late for Brits. In retrospect it is obvious that legislation banning firearm ownership was an essential prerequisite to introduction of a police super state.

Andrew Milner, Yokohama, Japan

You people have overlooked the "BIG" point. It was a 5-4 decision! If Obama and the liberals take office and appoint new Supreme Court Justices, then you will see a wholesale slaughter of our beloved Constitution. The "fairness doctrine" alone will eliminate "Freedom of Speech". 1 & 2 will be gone!

Ed, Atlanta, US

The NRA statement that this is 'the opening salvo' in the debate is beyond parody really! When the next campus massacre takes place in the US as it surely will do, the pro-gun lobby will say it is a price worth paying for liberty as they bury the dead students.

Brian O'Connell, Liverpool, UK

I believe the wording from the 2nd amendment is "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." Perhaps this 200 year old amendment was intended differently for a different society & different times?

Matt, St Albans, UK

Sorry US, your constitution was written when you were lucky to have a shot-gun, and you had a militia for protection against invaders, not a standing army. Establishing a standing army removed the need for you to have guns. You are reaping the rewards of not realising that at the time.

Ron, Milton Keynes, UK

Jamie Slaughter (I hope your surname doesn't describe what you do with your gun!): I didn't know there was a town called St Albans in West Viriginia, USA. I live in St Albans, Hertfordshire, about 20 miles from London. I wonder how many other towns named St Albans there are in the world.

David Probert, St. Albans, Herts, UK

A German political scientist defined "government" as "that institution that claims for itself a monopoly on the legitimate use of deadly force." We believe in "self-government" (Of, By and For the People), so all we have a role in that -- and thus a legitimate reason to have gun.

fsilber, Memphis, Tennessee, USA

The state normally has a monopoly on violence. if a government becomes tyrannical the citizens need recourse to defend themselves from such. the DC law sought to regulate ownership, not use, so i believe that the Supreme Court was correct in declaring the DC law unconstitutional.

tim, sydney, NSW, AUS

The ancient right was affirmed by the US Constitution in 1791, from the English Declaration of Rights of 1689. It's amazing that Liam of Stoke doesn't care about his rights as an Englishman, let alone America's. Justice Scalia's brilliant history of the right is a must read. Live free or die!

Ed Engels, New York, NY,

"I wouldn't trust my best friend with a gun anymore than I would a chimpanzee."

Jeff, you need to find some better friends!

The funny thing is that when one compares murder rates (or simply violent crime rates) - one finds that the higher the rate of legal gun ownership, the lower the crime rate.

Vince Warde, Cameron Park, CA, USA

The idea that gun bans limit crime is ignorant and misguided. Crime stats from Melbourne to London on over to Washington D.C. prove the point.

Today the United States Supreme Court "correctly" interpreted the 2nd Amendment, to which I say "thank you". I'm proud to be an armed American!

Roger, Kansas City, USA

It is time for British subjects to reclaim their rights as their American cousins have.

Guy Smith, San Francisco, USA

knight, aberdeen, uk ask if a test is required. Yes, at least in
the Republic of California and Washington state. The owner
of a firearm get what is called "A License To Carry." Just look
at the UK Times story on the drug war in Mexico and you can
understand why we, Americans, want our guns.

John, Placentia, Republic of California

Alas, the only people to obey and respect gun laws in America or knife laws in England are the honest people. The criminal does not care for either laws or the Constitution. It is not that the U.S. is a violent culture, just a younger and different one facing different needs in its history.

Bob Evans, Anaheim, California

Gareth Jenkins, Pwllheli, UK writes "Insanity prevails in the US once again. A free and safe society does not need guns, they breed a sense of fear, which we in the UK thankfully are truly free of."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
No fear & no crime in the UK? WOW

Fenoy, Port Tobacco, MD, US

Gareth Jenkins, You think guns for protection are bad, why not go out in front of your house and erect a sign declaring that the property is gun free. Then see how long it takes for the thieves and thugs to congregate. OOPS! You did that already and now The Times carries rising gun crime stories.

Kent, Orlando, Fl, USA

Yes, you are much less likely to be shot in England or Wales, but several hundred times more likely to stabbed and beaten. You banned guns and knives. What's next to ban, sticks and rocks? England is a violent place, stop pretending.

Kevin S., Petaluma, California, USA

Fantastic, ancient law referring to different social needs are dictating life in America today!

May they rest in the peace the countless innocents who will feel the impact of this absurdity.

Marc, Antrim,

Frankly the US have the right idea. In the UK only criminals can carry weapons, law-abiding citizens have no right to self-defence. Then once a criminal is apprehended, his human rights are recognised. Victims, and those whose choose not to break the law, have no one to speak on their behalf.

Eric Pritchard, Clevedon, UK

I never wanted a gun until I was mugged at knifepoint and a man locked himself in my apartment with my wife and children when I was gone. Ask Washington residents if they feel safer since handguns were banned 32 years ago. I support carry regulation, background checks and registration, but not bans

Jon, CA, USA

Besides, before Nazi occupiers went after the intellectuals, homosexuals and jews, they went after the guns.

Doug, CA, USA

Guns don't kill people. People kill people.

JT, Austin, TX, USA

Sorry Brits, but we in the US like and want our guns.
And of course the old saw 'Guns don't kill people the
person who pulls the trigger kill."

Lol Look how you Brits are frantic over knives!

Jerry Scroggin, Phoenix, Arizona/USA

Actually, James from London, since handguns were banned in the UK following the Dumblane massacre, gun crime in the UK has spiralled out of control. It was better when the police and authorities knew where the guns were.

ed, Melbourne, NSW, Australia

Why don't they have to take a test to show they have the judgment to know when and when not to shoot? Before they get a gun.
Because if they do get it wrong I hope they go to jail for a long time

knight, aberdeen, uk

Ahhh the irony and the idiocy. We need liberal gun laws to protect us from people with guns who have guns because of the liberal gun laws.
"Armed men are free, unarmed men are subjects." only works on a national scale. The American military subjects countries but your neighbours hand gun doesn't.

Keith, Perth, Australia

The Constitution of the US does NOT 'grant' individual citizens the right to possess firearms. The Constitution and the SCOTUS ruling recognize and affirm our pre-existing rights to keep and bear arms.

Mike

Mike, Kentucky, USA

Why do governments want to restrict gun ownership for law-abiding citizens? Because they level the field of power, and no government wants that.

Likewise, women should want to carry guns - it gives them the power of defense against stronger, taller men who would otherwise be able to hurt them

Sarah, London, UK

It is a constitutional right to be able to keep and bear arms. Once the notion arrives that one article is to be thrown out, then what stops the government from tossing all freedoms in the trash? Law abiding citizens that own firearms are NOT the threat to society!

Lincoln Schlecht, Waco, Texas, USA

The basic truth is that an American citizen is 30 times more likely to die from gunshot than a citizen of England and Wales and 117 times that of a Japanese citizen. The Second Amendment was designed to let people arm themselves and form militias but nowadays they have a policemen.

William Garrett, Harrow,

DC...congrats on earning back one of your freedoms. I'd rather be pro-active in protecting my family than be re-active in picking out my black suit for a funeral. Guns, if used responsibly, are there to protect us. Just as a car can't drive itself, a gun can't kill or wound anyone.

Paul B, Pennsylvania, USA

How many people have been killed per 000 in the US vs in the UK in the last 10 years, with legally held or registered guns?..... Brilliant America, make guns more available.

James, London, UK

Thank god the Supreme Court finally made this ruling. I carry a pistol every day,so does my wife. My wife will never be the victim of a rapist or robber because she has the knowledge and ability to defend herself. Free and fair society has nothing to fear from an armed citizen.

Don, Rockford,

Gareth Jenkins, Pwllheli, UK

I have to tell you I am more afraid of knifes in the streets of London when I visit, than I am afraid of guns in the streets of New York, where I live.

Why?

On vacation in London I saw a stabbing, I have yet to see a shooting on the streets of NY after 45 yrs

Ruth, NYC, USA

No restrictions on the right of self-defence are legal; this includes restrictions on firearms.
When nearly everyone was a citizen of English extraction, this was understood and not challanged. Immigration changed it to a matter of political expediancy.
Without guns the US would be like Beruit.

Jack, Highland , USA

Happily, we have just avoided one further step into the Orwellian nightmare of Animal Farm and 1984. I am delighted, to say the least, that the court was at least wise enough to separate 1791 and 1913. Revisionist 'liberals' seem to have an issue with that. Now if we can just eliminate P.C.

Jamie Slaughter, St. Albans, WV, U.S.A.

Finally, a sane ruling by the Supreme Court. It is time that people have the full right to defend themselves against the ridiculous levels of crime that are dominating many inner cities.

Kevin Moore, Richmond,

"A free and safe society does not need guns, they breed a sense of fear, which we in the UK thankfully are truly free of.
Gareth Jenkins, Pwllheli, UK"

BRIXTON is still in England, right?

Jack, Highland , USA

Just what America needs. More guns. I wouldn't trust my best friend with a gun anymore than I would a chimpanzee. Look at all these nuts with road rage who in a fit of anger blow someone's head off. I doubt if the gun lovers even know how to use them. More school shootings to come.

Jeff, Sacramento / CA, USA

'Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not.'

~Thomas Jefferson

Dave, Lake Villa, USA

Desmond Taylor, the 2nd Amendment IS the constitution, therefore it cannot be unconstitutional. The issue in the case was whether the DC gun law was constitutional within the meaning of the 2nd amendment, and the four justices you speak of found the DC gun law to be constitutional, five did not.

Jay, New York,

Good for America!!

Phill, The Wirral, England

Most unfortunate. A vote of 5 to 4 - they came so close to setting themselves on the right road at last, only to fall at the last hurdle.

Liam, Stoke, UK

How low is the murder rate in a society that is safe enough to do without guns? If there was only one murder attempt in the US this year, the rate would be 1 in 300,000,000. To that one crime victim, the danger justifies owning and using a gun. Why should the law make him defenseless?

Joseph, New York City, USA

2 million crimes are detered every year in the US because of gun owners.

Criminals don't need guns, they have physical strength, knives and the courts, news media, and cheap politicians on their side.

God help England! This will get worse than you could ever imagine! Get out while you can.

Jack, Highland , USA

This is what happens when you have political appointments as judges. The Supreme Court is now constituted in such a way that such a reactionary judgment was wholly predictable.

Stephen, Bristol, UK

I have never once in my life felt the need or the desire to carry a gun. I live in a civilized society where decent citizens don't need to carry nor own guns. If you need firearms to enforce a 'polite' society, then you are in serious trouble.

Stuart, Leicester,

Too bad most English don't have even the most basic concept of liberty or sense of freedom. The americans are far more free than the British, gun rights is just another example. The list goes on and on, speech... Wake up and get in touch with reality.

Herb Teachey, Kimbolton, UK

Paul, look up English Rights 1688. The real horror in this story is that 4 Justices could find the that the 2nd Amendment was unconstitutional. This is the first time for years that an Article in the Bill of Rights has been upheld as constitutional. We need more Constitutional descisions like this

Desmond Taylor, Houston, USA TX

The UK Government banned guns in this country because they where afraid of a revolution, not because they where worried that some nutter might ‘go postal’.
Give us back our guns and see crime drop….

dave , peterborough, uk

Great news. The gun ban has lead to an INCREASE of gun and knife crime. Time that the law abiding citizens get their rights back as gun control is only good for the bad guys.

Stewart, Milton Keynes,

Insanity prevails in the US once again. I think the founding fathers would turn in their graves to see Ameicans killing each other in their thousands. A free and safe society does not need guns, they breed a sense of fear, which we in the UK thankfully are truly free of.

Gareth Jenkins, Pwllheli, UK

Robert Helien wrote that an armed society is a polite society.
Things just go a whole lot more civil, especially for D.C.!

Margaret Mary, Saratoga Springs NY, USA

Guns,guns,guns,guns,guns,guns,guns,guns,guns,
guns,guns. America loves its guns. The only country in the civilized world where everyone vcan have guns. It makes us sooooooooooo uncivilized.

Bruce Northwood, Washington, D.C., USA

Armed men are free, unarmed men are subjects.

Tony, Indianapolis, Indiana, US

Sanity prevails. We need to challenge the illegal gun laws in this country, because they violate our ancient constitution and only help the criminals, not us law abiding citizens.

Paul, Bucks, England

I don't have a problem with people having guns at home for self defense. Doesn't mean they can't make them illegal to carry in public.

Adrian, Sacramento, USA

It's about time the citizens of this country were given the same rights; the only people carrying guns here are criminals and the police.

edwina langton, chorley,