Gun Laws Face Challenges After Supreme Court Ruling

Gun control laws across the country are likely to face legal challenges in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that individuals have a Second Amendment right to own a gun for self-defense. The ruling struck down only the District of Columbia's ban on handguns, but a lawsuit has already been filed against Chicago's strict gun laws. In its ruling, the high court said governments still have a right to impose a wide range of gun regulations, such as licensing or barring ownership by felons or the mentally ill.

Surveys find two-thirds of Americans do believe the Constitution guarantees the right to own a gun and only one-third favor a complete handgun ban. Self-defense is one of the major reasons gun owners cite for having a gun, along with target shooting and hunting. But the general public is divided on whether owning a gun makes a home safer or more dangerous. And while most people do support stricter gun regulations, surveys find considerable doubt on about how effective they would be.