Most people who want to tear down a house start with the walls. But every now and then, someone skips the demolition and goes straight for the foundation. That’s exactly what just happened at the Supreme Court – and every American who values the Bill of Rights should be paying attention.

The stage is set for one of the most consequential Second Amendment battles in a generation. The Supreme Court agreed earlier this year to hear Viramontes v. Cook County, a challenge to bans on semiautomatic firearms imposed by Cook County, Illinois, and Connecticut. Oral arguments are scheduled for December 2, and a decision is expected by summer 2027. Dozens of amicus briefs have poured in – 27 states, the Department of Justice, members of Congress, and major pro-Second Amendment organizations all filing in support of striking down the bans.

Meanwhile, the legal tide has been flowing unmistakably in one direction. Just this week, the Fifth Circuit ruled that federal restrictions on switchblade knives violated the Second Amendment, and a federal judge in New York struck down that state’s ban on civilian body armor. Courts across the country are recognizing what the Founders made plain: “arms” means more than muskets.

So naturally, the gun-control lobby decided to go bigger. Two organizations – Americans Against Gun Violence and the American Enlightenment Project – didn’t just argue that AR-15s should be banned. They asked the Supreme Court to overturn District of Columbia v. Heller entirely.

From the Americans Against Gun Violence amicus brief:

“Heller and its progeny are egregiously flawed decisions that are themselves incompatible with the history and plain language of the Second Amendment, and these decisions have devastating public health consequences. We call on this Court to rule not only that civilian ownership of AR-15’s is not constitutionally protected, but also to acknowledge Heller and its progeny were wrongly decided.”

Let that settle. Heller is the 2008 decision that affirmed what most Americans already understood – that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms. Overturning it wouldn’t just ban one type of rifle. It would erase the constitutional foundation for private gun ownership altogether.

The mask comes off

And their big argument? England. I’m not kidding. Americans Against Gun Violence pointed to Britain’s strict gun laws as proof the Founders never intended to protect individual firearms ownership. I’d love to know which history class they slept through – because last I checked, we fought a whole war over this kind of thing.

The American Enlightenment Project wasn’t much better, blaming Heller itself for creating a “gun crisis.” Not criminals. Not policy failures. A court ruling. That’s the kind of reasoning that keeps constitutional lawyers up at night.

What’s really at stake

Here’s what these groups never seem to grasp: you don’t get to rewrite the Constitution because you lost the argument. And when has the mainstream media ever asked why we’re supposed to take two fringe organizations seriously against the weight of 27 states and the DOJ?

The NRA’s Justin Davis put it perfectly – we don’t limit the First Amendment to newspapers and town squares just because the Founders never imagined social media. “The world evolves,” Davis said, “but the core fundamental rights never change.”

Two fringe organizations against 27 states, the Department of Justice, and 235 years of constitutional history. I like those odds. December 2 is coming. The Second Amendment isn’t going anywhere.

Key Takeaways

• Anti-gun groups are openly asking the Supreme Court to overturn the landmark Heller decision.
• Their key argument cites England’s gun laws – to interpret the American Constitution.
• Twenty-seven states and the DOJ filed briefs defending Second Amendment rights.
• Oral arguments begin December 2, with a ruling expected by summer 2027.

Sources: Daily Caller, Fox News