Arms

Abstract

Chapter 7 addresses the relationship between the Free Speech Clause and the Second Amendment’s right to “keep and bear Arms.” Relative to the other non-speech rights examined in the book, recognition of an individual right to keep and bear arms occurred relatively recently (the Supreme Court recognized the right in 2008). As a result, the relationship between free speech and Second Amendment rights is still developing. The chapter focuses primarily on two aspects of their intersection. The first is the extent to which the nature and scope of Second Amendment rights ought to be modeled on Free Speech Clause doctrines and principles. The chapter considers the pros and (mostly) cons of “borrowing” the Free Speech Clause for this purpose. The second aspect of the relationship between the Free Speech Clause and the Second Amendment relates to potential conflicts between them. The chapter addresses two tension points—the effect on free speech of openly carrying firearms at public protests and demonstrations, and the effect on academic freedom and inquiry from the presence of firearms in university classrooms. The chapter argues that the future of the Second Amendment will not be determined by explicit borrowing of Free Speech Clause doctrines. However, in terms of constructing the modern right to keep and bear arms, there is much we can learn from the nation’s long experience with free speech rights.