By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog
Nearly half of the states in the Union stepped up to challenge New Jersey’s woefully unconstitutional anti-concealed carry gun control law, Save Jerseyans, but the U.S. Supreme Court refused to grant certiorari in the Drake v. Jerejian matter on Monday, dealing a heavy blow to Second Amendment enthusiasts in our home state and beyond.
They had hoped that the narrowly-leaning conservative High Court would seize upon the opportunity to expand upon its landmark 2008 District of Columbia v. Heller decision.
No such luck. Not this time around.
At present, New Jersey citizens need to demonstrate a “justifiable need” to carry handguns outside of their home property. The issuance of a concealed carry permit is de facto discretionary and one is typically awarded only to personnel in the security sector.
Supporters of the current state of the law argued that the law “qualifies as a presumptively lawful, longstanding regulation that does not burden conduct within the scope of the Second Amendment’s guarantee,” but even the far-left 9th Circuit Court of Appeals previously held in a case challenging San Diego County’s gun control regulations that “[t]he Second Amendment does require that the states permit some form of carry for self-defense outside the home… [s]tates may not destroy the right to bear arms in public under the guise of regulating it.”
Hopes were high ahead of today’s disappointing decision. Garden State advocates nevertheless find themselves facing down the twin disappointments of a lost national opportunity and the likelihood of fresh gun control bills (containing stale ideas) coming out of a state legislative committee all within a single 24-hour period.
I’m still waiting for someone to convincingly explain to me how a constitutional right can be licensed in the first place! After today, it looks as if I’ll be waiting at least a little while longer for a definitive answer.
