NRA lawsuit gives SCOTUS chance to confront 2nd Amendment's roots in racism

Oct 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court will soon have its first opportunity in more than a decade to redefine the scope of gun rights and to confront the link between the Second Amendment and slavery that it has previously overlooked.

The justices next month will hear a challenge backed by the National Rifle Association to New York state’s restrictions on concealed handguns in public. The NRA and two gun owners are claiming the restrictions violate the Second Amendment, arguing that Americans have an unfettered right to carry guns in public for self-defense.

Conservative justices are expected to extend into the public sphere the gun rights established by the court in 2008 and 2010 for protection inside the home.

The court’s 2008 ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller entrenched the two dominant narratives in the political battle over gun control, and has defined much of our public history on guns and citizenship.