Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/07pdf/07-290.pdf
Page Number: 144.0

Cite as:  554 U. S. ____ (2008) 

31 

all. 

BREYER, J., dissenting 

2 

The majority briefly suggests that the “right to keep and 
bear Arms” might encompass an interest in hunting.  See, 
e.g.,  ante,  at  26.    But  in  enacting  the  present  provisions, 
the  District  sought  “to  take  nothing  away  from  sports-
men.”  DC  Rep., at 33.  And any inability of District resi-
dents  to  hunt  near  where  they  live  has  much  to  do  with
the  jurisdiction’s  exclusively  urban  character  and  little  to 
do with the District’s firearm laws.  For reasons similar to 
those  I  discussed  in  the  preceding  subsection—that  the 
District’s  law  does  not  prohibit  possession  of  rifles  or 
shotguns,  and  the  presence  of  opportunities  for  sporting 
activities  in  nearby  States—I  reach  a  similar  conclusion,
namely, that the District’s law burdens any sports-related 
or  hunting-related  objectives  that  the  Amendment  may 
protect little, or not at all.  

3 

The District’s law does prevent a resident from keeping 
a loaded handgun in his home.  And it consequently makes
it more difficult for the householder to use the handgun for 
self-defense  in  the  home  against  intruders,  such  as  bur-
glars.  As  the  Court  of  Appeals  noted,  statistics  suggest 
that  handguns  are  the  most  popular  weapon  for  self  de-
fense.  See  478  F. 3d,  at  400  (citing  Kleck  &  Gertz,  86  J. 
Crim. L. & C., at 182–183).  And there are some legitimate 
reasons  why  that  would  be  the  case:  Amici  suggest  (with
some empirical support) that handguns are easier to hold 
and control (particularly for persons with physical infirmi-
ties),  easier  to  carry,  easier  to  maneuver  in  enclosed
spaces, and that a person using one will still have a hand 
free to dial 911.  See ILEETA Brief 37–39; NRA Brief 32– 
33; see also ante, at 57.  But see Brief for Petitioners 54– 
55  (citing  sources  preferring  shotguns  and  rifles  to  hand-