Dangerous Ruling [BARF ALERT]

Washington Post ^ | March 10, 2007 | Washington Post

[libstripper]

IN OVERTURNING the District of Columbia's long-standing ban on handguns yesterday, a federal appeals court turned its back on nearly 70 years of Supreme Court precedent to give a new and dangerous meaning to the Second Amendment. If allowed to stand, this radical ruling will inevitably mean more people killed and wounded as keeping guns out of the city becomes harder. Moreover, if the legal principles used in the decision are applied nationally, every gun control law on the books would be imperiled.

The 2 to 1 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit struck down sections of a 1976 law that bans city residents from having handguns in their homes. The court also overturned the law's requirement that shotguns and rifles be stored disassembled or with trigger locks.

[libstripper]

WA Po has its panties in knots over people in DC actually being able to defend themselves. Question for DC lawyers:

"Can the District appeal this decision on its own, or must it get approval for an appeal from the US DOJ?"

Since the US DOJ is on record as holding that the 2d Amendment guarantees an individual right, it might not be possible for the District government, which is an entity of the US Government, to appeal without approval by the US DOJ, which might be unwilling to give such approval.

[FreedomPoster]

A hearty "ha-HA!" to the WaPost.

Their "collective right" stance is a twisted view of the plain words of the Founders in the BoR, whose position on this is clear, with any sort of open-minded review of their contemporaneous writings. The People means individiuals, just like in all the other Rights, and not the States, which have Powers, and not Rights.

[JohnLongIsland]

so the criminals are going to get more guns than they already have, once again liberal logic at its finest. the compost is worried because now some law abiding citizen will fire back and put some of this riff raff six feet under where they belong. don't worry compost, the libs that run dc will make sure the riff raff will still cast their ballots from the grave on election day.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Gun grabbers hate this ruling.


"We're going to have to take one step at a time, and the first step is necessarily -- given the political realities -- going to be very modest ...
So then we'll have to start working again to strengthen the law, and then again to strengthen the next law, and maybe again and again.
Right now, though, we'd be satisfied not with half a loaf but with a slice.
Our ultimate goal -- total control of handguns in the United States -- is going to take time ....
The first problem is to slow down the increasing number of guns being produced and sold in this country.
The second problem is to get handguns registered.
And the final problem is to make the possession of *all* handguns and *all* handgun ammunition -- except for the military, policemen, licensed security guards, licensed sporting clubs, and licensed gun collectors -- totally illegal."
-- Pete Shields, Chairman Emeritus, Handgun Control, Inc. ( "The New Yorker", July 26, 1976 )

[metmom]

If allowed to stand, this radical ruling will inevitably mean more people killed and wounded as keeping guns out of the city becomes harder.

Only the criminals who are being taken out during attempted robberies and rapes. In the long run though, it should result in an overall decrease once they're gone.

Besides, the city officials are deluding themselves if they really think the gun ban is keeping guns out of the city.

[muawiyah]

The Washington Post has armed guards at its worksites.

They just don't wish for our black brothers in DC to be able to defend themselves.

This is part of what is known as "plantation politics".

[M Kehoe]

It is good to see that the Compost has it's panties in a knot.

5.56mm

[elcid1970]

"Plantation politics"

At its worst. Poor black people in D.C. don't have a self-defense right. Instead, posters recommend, "Don't use a gun, call 9-1-1!"

Do the D.C. police still operate their anonymous tip line where you can rat out your neighbor if he is even suspected of owning a handgun?

The moonbats will soon be in full screech mode over this one.

I once lived in Northern Virginia. Still have friends there. But I'm glad to be in South Carolina.

[Drango]

I don't think the 1st amendment means what it says and we can stop the WaPost from printing this twaddle. /s

[Citizen Tom Paine]

Each individual living in the United Sates (in the World?) has the right of self defense. Therefore one should be eligible to buy and use a firearm. The State can limit this right based on a person's past history of behavior, but we are on very thin ice here in a free society.

[muawiyah]

Northern Virginia has a very low crime rate, and if you want a hanging jury, you couldn't go wrong.

The Liberals around here really are hypocritical aren't they~~~~!!!!! Bwahahahahahahahaha

[MarkL]

Actually, I can see a perfectly logical reason for the WaPo to assert that the words "the People" in the Second Amendment actually means "the State." They obviously believe that rights guaranteed by the Constitution only apply to officially recognized and sanctioned groups. For example, "freedom of the press" only applies to "real" newspapers, "news" radio, and TV "news", and as such, they're immune from things like McCain/Feingold CFR and FEC regulations, whereas bloggers, conservative discussion sites, and even individual concerned citizens, are not.

Where freedom to practice your religion is only protected for certain, officially recognized, government sanctioned religions.

So yes, I can easily see and understand why the WaPo, and most leftists believe that when the Constitution says "the People," it really means "the State."

Mark

[apillar]

Moreover, if the legal principles used in the decision are applied nationally, every gun control law on the books would be imperiled.

Sounds GREAT to me !

By the way, the mayor of DC came out after this court ruling yesterday and said he has instructed the police to continue to enforce the handgun ban. Somebody correct me if I'm mistaken, but I did not see anything about the appeals court withholding enforcement of their order until it is appealed.

Some DC resident needs to gather a bunch of media and call the police to report they own a handgun. If the police actually obey the mayors order and arrest them, it's extremely likely that the mayor would be facing contempt of court charges and the individual arrested would probably also receive a healthy civil judgment as well.

[Gay State Conservative]

I wonder if there are any "Carl Rowans" among the members of the Compost's Editorial Board.

[Calvin Locke]

WaPo had a liberal, er, one of WaPo's now deceased do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do liberal columnists was a noted gun grabber.

So what does he do when some teenagers decide to swim through his pool one night? He pulls out a roscoe and lets one fly, iirc. Carl something was his name. Hypocrisy was his game.

[cbkaty]

"Can the District appeal this decision on its own, or must it get approval for an appeal from the US DOJ?"

I hope they can appeal....this needs to go to the Supreme Court for a final nail in the coffin of the gun grabbers.....

[sgtbono2002]

A few more criminals may be killed until they learn that the Little Korean they have been holding up reguler in that little store on the corner is now shooting back.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I think you're on to something.

[Gay State Conservative]

Carl something was his name. Hypocrisy was his game.

Carl Rowan was his name.Check out Wikipedia's bio on him. Apparently he chose to defy DC's gun laws because the KKK had threatened him (he was black).I wonder if the kid in the pool was a KKK operative.

[Beckwith]

So yes, I can easily see and understand why the WaPo, and most leftists believe that when the Constitution says "the People," it really means "the State."

That's irrational -- but irrationality is what defines a liberal.