Mcdonald V. Chicago Case Study

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Why 2nd Amendment Is So Popular Background Information The second amendment is probably the most controversial amendment in the Bill of Rights. The second amendment is stated in the Bill of Rights as, “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"(“Second Amendment”) This could mean that you have the right to possess a small gun for self-defence purposes only, but the real meaning is a very controversial argument. Focusing on this amendment is important because it is a very disputed amendment still debated today. There have been many cases where the Supreme Court has had to make a decision, and most of the time it is an almost split decision. …show more content…

Chicago case was the defining moment for supporters of the second amendment. The case started when Otis McDonald tried to buy a handgun to protect his family from local hoodlums. The City of Chicago had a handgun ban, preventing McDonald from purchasing the gun. McDonald challenged the ban, and took the feud to court. The City of Chicago ruled that they should be able to instate their own laws about gun ownership (“Otis McDonald...Second Amendment”), but McDonald took the case to the Supreme Court . After a long trial, the Supreme Court ruled in split 5-4 in favor of McDonald. They stated that since Otis McDonald was an American Citizen, it gave him the right to possess a handgun, with the City unable to interfere with his 2nd amendment rights ( * ). The victory also vanquished Chicago’s handgun ban, which was a huge victory for fighters of 2nd Amendment rights. The repealing of the ban in Chicago led other Major Cities to take away the ban. After winning gun freedom for many Americans, Otis McDonald became the face of freedom of their time(Otis McDonald...2nd Amendment). If a man who had no major influence on society can change what the second amendment means, then imagine how easy it would be to further fight for the rights of American Citizens. But these situations don’t always happen in America. They can appear in countries around the