美国国家公共电台 NPR--What SCOTUS striking down New York's concealed-carry law means for gun laws

What SCOTUS striking down New York's concealed-carry law means for gun laws

Transcript¹

NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with Michael Waldman of the Brennan Center about the Supreme² Court's decision to strike down New York's concealed-carry law.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

New York's governor, Kathy Hochul, reacted following the decision.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

KATHY HOCHUL: This decision isn't just reckless. It's reprehensible³. It's not what New Yorkers want. If the federal government will not have sweeping⁴ laws to protect us, then our states and our governors have a moral responsibility to do what we can because of what is going on, the insanity⁵ of the gun culture that has now possessed⁶ everyone all the way up to even the Supreme Court.

FADEL: To further discuss the implications of this ruling, I'm joined now by Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center. Thank you for being here.

MICHAEL WALDMAN: Thank you.

FADEL: So this is the first Second Amendment⁷ case that the court has decided⁸ in more than a decade. What does this tell you about how this court views the Second Amendment?

WALDMAN: You're right. And in many ways, it is the most sweeping expansion of gun rights any Supreme Court case has put forward. It was only in 2008 that the Supreme Court said that the Second Amendment represents an individual right for gun ownership for self-defense. This is much greater in its impact, not only in New York but around the country as well.

FADEL: How has the court's interpretation⁹ of the clause well-organized militia¹⁰ changed in recent years?

WALDMAN: Well, they've basically ignored it. They've erased¹¹ it. The original meaning of the Second Amendment was at a time when all men were required to be in the militia from age 16 to 60 and required by law to own a gun. And that's what bear arms was referring to. But what the Supreme Court has said is it's really now about an individual right. And what they said today - and this is why the opinion is going to be so sweeping in its impact even beyond New York's law, which has been on the books for a century. Ever since that 2008 case and another case in 2010, hundreds of opinions by courts in America - hundreds of federal court and state court opinions have said, well, OK, how do we know what kind of gun laws are constitutional? And they said, yes, there's an individual right. We look to see whether that right is affected¹².

But the public has rights, too. Public safety matters. And courts have balanced these things. And about 90% of the gun laws that have been challenged over the past decade have been upheld. Well, today the Supreme Court said, no, you did it wrong. What you need to look at is history. And by the way, the Supreme Court's use of history here is intellectually dishonest in the way it cherry-picks things. I wrote a book of history about the Second Amendment, and I know that there was far greater regulation of guns than Justice Clarence Thomas' opinion would admit.

But basically, what this means is that the NRA and other gun rights adherents¹³ will have a do-over and can challenge and will challenge dozens and dozens of gun laws well outside New York, well outside the issue of handguns, saying that all the courts that upheld them in the past, they just were doing it wrong. And now they have to find their inner Clarence Thomas to understand what's allowed. The court gave very little guidance here as to what it would actually regard as a sensitive place and things like that. The result in all of this will be more guns, more violence on the streets of places like New York - but chaos¹⁴ when it tries to come to passing gun regulation that will keep us safe while protecting people's rights.

FADEL: Michael Waldman of the Brennan Center, thank you so much for being on the program.

WALDMAN: Thank you.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

3 reprehensible   

adj.该受责备的

参考例句：

• Lying is not seen as being morally reprehensible in any strong way.人们并不把撒谎当作一件应该大加谴责的事儿。
• It was reprehensible of him to be so disloyal.他如此不忠，应受谴责。

4 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

5 insanity   

n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐

参考例句：

• In his defense he alleged temporary insanity.他伪称一时精神错乱，为自己辩解。
• He remained in his cell,and this visit only increased the belief in his insanity.他依旧还是住在他的地牢里，这次视察只是更加使人相信他是个疯子了。

6 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

7 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。

10 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

11 erased   

v.擦掉( erase的过去式和过去分词 )；抹去；清除

参考例句：

• He erased the wrong answer and wrote in the right one. 他擦去了错误答案，写上了正确答案。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He removed the dogmatism from politics; he erased the party line. 他根除了政治中的教条主义，消除了政党界限。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

13 adherents   

n.支持者，拥护者( adherent的名词复数 )；党羽；徒子徒孙

参考例句：

• He is a leader with many adherents. 他是个有众多追随者的领袖。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The proposal is gaining more and more adherents. 该建议得到越来越多的支持者。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。