New Jersey has become the latest state to try and place a ban on AR-15 rifles. With gun associations disproving these laws and taking the matter to court, these new laws are continuously found to be unconstitutional.
However, state officials argue that the purchase and use of these guns threaten public safety. But how will the lifting of this ban affect you?
Maryland’s Ban on AR-15s
The attempted ban of AR-15s in New Jersey isn’t a new issue, as Maryland had previously tried to do the same thing but was prevented from doing so in similar circumstances.
Maryland had also cited the need for public safety in defense of the ban. Still, with gun advocate groups making a solid case that the ban was unnecessary, the Supreme Court agreed due to it, going against the Second Amendment.
The Second Amendment
The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution clearly states that it is the right of U.S. citizens to bear arms and that this shouldn’t be infringed upon as it would affect people’s rights.
Any sort of ban on guns can be seen as an infringement of this right. While some people would be entirely in favor of this ban due to safety concerns, others don’t want their rights being taken away and will continue to fight them.
New Jersey Attempted to Ban AR-15s
When the state of New Jersey made an earlier attempt to ban AR-15s, citing public safety as the main reason for this, gun rights activists immediately went against it and took the issue to court.
In a ruling by a federal court judge, the ban on AR-15s has been deemed unconstitutional, primarily due to the 2022 Bruen decision that expanded gun rights.
Magazine Capacity Has Been Limited
Despite AR-15s still able to be purchased and used, the use of magazines alongside these rifles has been limited. Gun users now have a magazine capacity of 10 rounds.
However, gun rights activists and New Jersey officials want to appeal the decision, so the ruling has been paused for 30 days to give both parties the chance to get the right legal advice.
New Jersey Has Strict Gun Laws
New Jersey is a state with one of the strictest sets of gun laws across the U.S. Governor Phil Murphy has signed various gun laws, such as the ban on large-capacity magazines in 2018.
There have been bans on assault weapons in the Garden State since the early 1990s. However, gun advocate groups have been trying their hardest to overturn these decisions due to disagreeing with them.
Gun Advocate Groups Opinions
There is a difference of opinion between gun advocate groups and the state officials wanting to introduce the ban. The gun advocate groups believe this law would be “immoral and unconstitutional.”
The groups have also said that they are going to continue to fight on this issue until all gun bans have been lifted throughout the U.S., according to the president of the Firearms Policy Coalition.
Undermining Public Safety
New Jersey officials have a different opinion. New Jersey Attorney General Matt Plutkin has said that the federal court’s decision is “undermining public safety” because of the AR-15’s purpose.
The AR-15 was designed for warfare, inflicts mass injuries and is the primary weapon of choice when an individual or group of people intend to carry out a mass shooting, resulting in the deaths of many individuals across the U.S.
Following the Supreme Court’s Principle
As this was a federal court ruling, Judge Peter Sheridan had to follow the principle set by the Supreme Court due to it setting the law for the nation.
However, Judge Sheridan did point out that he believes more needs to be done when it comes to gun laws, as mass shootings regularly affect the U.S. He believes that Congress and the President need to do more to prevent this from happening.
Joe Biden Had Vowed to Ban AR-15s
Even though he is now out of the Presidential election race, Joe Biden had vowed to place a ban on the purchase and sale of AR-15s. This came after Donald Trump was shot at with one of these styles of guns.
Now that he is out of the running, it is unknown whether Kamala Harris plans to carry over this promise. If she does and ends up becoming President, this could mean a complete ban on AR-15s nationwide.
States Affected by Mass Shootings
The states that have tried to ban AR-15s are most commonly those that have been affected by mass shootings. This includes New York, California and the District of Columbia.
One particularly harrowing mass shooting was the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, where 20 children and six adults were killed by a shooter using an AR-15. As these are classed as an assault weapon, many people are keen for them to be banned for good.
The Constitution vs. Public Safety
It’s very clear that the main issue with guns comes down to following the Constitution over concerns for public safety, and many would argue that more needs to be done about it.
While some state governments are anti-gun and want to impose some bans, this issue goes far beyond the state level. More needs to be done at a national level to examine how the Constitution can still be upheld while maintaining public safety to keep both sides happy.
