Antonin Scalia Hints Second Amendment Not Absolute
Published at
Paul Morigi/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — Is private possession of hand-held rocket launchers protected by the Second Amendment?
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia said Sunday that it might be up to him and the eight other judges to decide just how far “the right to bear arms” goes.
Asked to comment about the Aurora, Colo., movie shooting and accused gunman James Holmes legally purchasing an assault rifle and high-capacity magazine, Scalia, a strict constitutionalist by his own admission, said it remains to be seen whether there “are some limitations that can be imposed.”
In 2008, Scalia was the lead author of a ruling that invalidated a ban on handgun ownership in Washington, D.C., saying it violated the basic tenets of the Second Amendment. He mentioned that it does not apply to “arms that cannot be hand-carried,” such as cannons.
But are hand-held rocket launchers, which are just as powerful as cannons, in that category? Scalia said it will probably fall to the court to determine what limitations should be applied to modern weapons.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio