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As retired Supreme Court justice argues for repeal of Second Amendment, public opinion varies widely

Justice says repeal is only way to real reform
Posted at 3:19 PM, Mar 27, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-27 22:39:01-04

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DENVER -- As a former Supreme Court justice calls for a repeal of the Second Amendment, Denver7 is looking at the gun regulation debate and the Constitution.

In Tuesday's New York Times, former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens suggested the Second Amendment needs to go.

Stevens argued in order to better regulate weapons, that those pushing for change "should seek more effective and more lasting reform. They should demand a repeal of the Second Amendment."

He went on to write that the need to protect ourselves from other states, "is a relic of the 18th Century."

Yet such a public plea brings outcry.

"I actually think repealing the Second Amendment would lead to a civil war in the United States," said Dudley Brown, of the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners.

Brown is strongly against any suggestion to eliminate the Second Amendment. He feels any tampering with the Constitution compromises our personal choices and freedom.

"I believe there are too many people who believe that it's a God-given right. And (they believe), it’s not the government’s role to strip (that right) from citizens," said Brown.

But there are more views beyond those two sides.

"We are not trying to fight against the Second Amendment here. We’re not trying to take your guns," said David Hogg, a survivor of the Parkland, Fla. shooting.

Yet other opinions fall somewhere in the middle. Many wish to respect the importance of the Constitution, while balancing the need for public safety. That includes some of the survivors of the Parkland massacre.

“We’re trying to implement sensible gun legislation that prevents criminals, people that are mentally unstable and people that just shouldn't own a gun in the first place, from getting one," said one survivor of the shooting.