Did the framers of the Bill of Rights intend the "right to bear arms" to apply only for the purpose of forming a militia, or more widely, for purposes such as self-defense? Is the possibility that American citizens will need to rise up against a tyrannical government so remote that the right to form a militia has become obsolete?
These are the questions the Supreme Court is weighing as it takes up a Second Amendment case for the first time in 70 years. These questions are also captivating the nation, and the reporter covering the case for the New York Times is a Radcliffe alumna. Linda Greenhouse ’68 has covered the Supreme Court for the Times for nearly 30 years, but recently announced that she is taking a buyout and retiring.
Read her story about the Second Amendment case in today's Times here; read a New York Observer interview with Greenhouse, including her remembrances of covering the Bush v. Gore decision in 2000, here.
Read a review of her book, Becoming Justice Blackmun, from this magazine's archives here and a snippet ("Hello Darkness") from her speech as the 2006 Radcliffe Institute Medalist here.
