• Obama addressed the June 2008 Supreme Court decision striking down the District of
Columbia's gun ban by saying, ?I have always believed that the Second Amendment protects the right
of individuals to bear arms, but I also identify with the need for crime-ravaged communities to save
their children from the violence that plagues our streets through common-sense, effective safety
measures. The Supreme Court has now endorsed that view, and while it ruled that the D.C. gun ban
went too far, Justice Scalia himself acknowledged that this right is not absolute and subject to
reasonable regulations enacted by local communities to keep their streets safe.?

?• Obama's gun control policy was widely expected to be in the direction of putting a curb on
the use of gun.

• Once he took charge as President, Obama declared his firearm policy by listing out certain
priorities.  Thus gun policy would be administered in two areas - 'ending the dangerous cycle of
youth violence' and 'addressing gun violence in cities'. 

• Obama has rather a long history of record of supporting the anti-gun policy in his public
career. Obama used to support radical anti-gun foundations such as the Joyce Foundation as early as
the 1994. Obama was also seen supporting the ban of weapons, imposition of taxes on arms and
ammunition and legislations intended to put a check on the use of guns throughout his career.

• However, Obama respects the gun owners' rights as had been mentioned in the Constitution.
"I have no intention of taking away folks' guns. It's important for us to recognize that we?ve got a
tradition of handgun ownership and gun ownership generally." 

• Obama also added that, "I have never favored an all-out ban on handguns. What I think we
can provide is common-sense approaches to the issue of illegal guns that are ending up on the
streets."

• Pertaining to the Second Amendment and individual gun owners' rights, "As a general
principle, I believe that the Constitution confers an individual right to bear arms. But just
because you have an individual right does not mean that the state or local government can't
constrain the exercise of that right."

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