The state of New York makes it very hard for ordinary citizens to carry a concealed weapon in public.
There is a required license, but that's not uncommon. The state goes further, though, in mandating a citizen show "proper cause" for obtaining the license.
New York is one of eight states that make residents jump through hoops before granting a license to carry a firearm. But that could change.
The New York State Rifle and Pistol Association says the law violates the Second Amendment. The group lost in August before the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, but this week the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to take up the case.
If the justices strike down New York's requirement that residents show a good reason for a license to carry a handgun, it will be the most important Second Amendment decision since 2008's ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller that bearing arms is an individual right not tied to service in a "well-regulated" militia.
We are pretty sure how most of our readers feel about the issue. The question is how the Supreme Court - which is generally skittish about gun rights cases - will rule.
They could uphold or reject New York's law. Or they could craft something of a punt. But with the court's current conservative majority, this may be one of the rare times the justices make a real Second Amendment impact.