Posted on 03/23/2015 8:08:45 AM PDT by pabianice
A Navy veteran and his wife are challenging a ban on handguns in Saipan, arguing in federal court that the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands is bound by the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment.
“I’ve always been a firm believer in our constitutional rights, whether that’s freedom of speech, religion or the right to keep and bear arms or right to privacy, and I’m pretty sure that what I’m doing in this case is in defense of those convictions,” said David J. Radich, 44, a former petty officer third class.
His wife, Li-Rong Radich, was severely beaten by an intruder in 2010, a trauma that her husband says might have been prevented if she had a handgun.
While the islands’ citizens can receive permits for a select few long guns, the law prevents them from possessing those for self-defense, even at home. Regulation of handguns varies in the four other inhabited U.S. territories. With differing degrees of regulation, they are allowed in America’s only other commonwealth territory, Puerto Rico, as well as in Guam and the Virgin Islands, but handguns are banned in American Samoa.
(Excerpt) Read more at stripes.com ...
As a former third class, he is more qualified to be President than Jerkohauntus.
World War II history: Saipan folded like a cheap tent when invaded. Guam fought bravely and resisted until U.S. forces returned.
“World War II history: Saipan folded like a cheap tent when invaded. Guam fought bravely and resisted until U.S. forces returned.”
History check. Saipan was part of Japan having been awarded to Japan by the League of Nations in 1918.
FWIW, both Saipan and Guam are peopled by the same Chamarro natives, but the Guamanians still view the Saipanese as collaborators who are not their equals.
“Not part of Japan, but governed by Japan as a temporary trust territory. So, yeah, the Japanese invasion was more like Hitler’s invasion of Austria.”
You are confused. Saipan became part of the US as a trust territory after WWII.
There was NO Japanese invasion of Saipan in WWII. It was the US that invaded Saipan in 1944.
Japan invaded Saipan in 1914 but at that time it was basically just a few farmers and fisherman with no means of defense.
“but the Guamanians still view the Saipanese as collaborators who are not their equals.”
Guam was not occupied by the Japanese. In 1943, Saipan had a civilian population of 29,348 Japanese settlers and 3,926 Chamorro and Caroline Islanders and by 1944 there were over 30,000 Japanese military in Saipan. Basically, they were not collaborators, they were Japanese.
Strange, the U.S. Military killed 18,000 Japanese non-occupiers.
"In July 1944, US forces retook the island of Guam after weeks of fierce fighting, leading to over 7,000 American casualties and over 18,000 Japanese killed."
Out of context. Guam was NOT occupied by the Japanese till they invaded it in 1941. Saipan was occupied by the Japanese prior to WWII.
You are confused. Saipan became part of the US as a trust territory after WWII.
He is not confused. The same Wikipedia article you cite (without attribution) in your next post (8) explains:
In 1914, during World War I, the island was captured [from Germany] by the Empire of Japan, which was awarded formal control in 1918 by the League of Nations as part of the South Pacific Mandate.
So, yes: Japan had received a mandate to govern Saipan.
That the U.S. was later (after WW II) awarded a mandate to govern Saipan does not invalidate Vigilanteman's statement.
Regards,
In the 70's Saipan became fully integrated with the U.S.A.
Completely and totally like Guam, or any other territory.
So the U.S. Constitution is the sovereign law of the Island.
I know the Gun Grabbers ignore it, but in this case it should be an open and shut case.
Those people are American Citizens.
Those Islands ARE American, Apple pie and Baseball and all that.
Why is this even a question?
The Guamanians objected. This is why Guam retains a special territorial status today. Saipan, Tinian, Rota and the other 12 uninhabited islands form the Northern Mariana Island Commonwealth (NMIC) and Guam, alone, the southernmost of the Mariana Islands retains territorial status.
Some say this is now actually a disadvantage for Guam since, as a territory, they have hope of achieving statehood whereas a commonwealth such as Puerto Rico or the NMIC could choose either statehood or independence.
As a practical matter, however, it means little since either commonwealth or territory residents enjoy almost all of the advantages of U.S. citizenship without the taxing obligations.
No, they are not U.S. citizens.
They are only U.S. nationals.
Regards,
Before WWII Japan occupied Saipan. During WWII the United States invaded and occupied Saipan, and we still occupy it. Before WWII the United States occupied Guam and the Japanese evicted us. We took back Guam during WWII and we still occupy it. That’s all the “hair splitting” context that matters.
-Wikipedia
So it looks like I was wrong, and natives of Saipan are indeed U.S. citizens.
Regards,
Samoans are U.S. Nationals.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_nationality_law#Birth_within_the_United_States
“Saipan folded like a cheap tent when invaded. “
Really?
Bombardment of Saipan began on 13 June 1944. Fifteen battleships were involved, and 165,000 shells were fired. The invasion took over three weeks and the Japanese fought to the last man losing over 30,000 killed not including the civilians. Over 1000 Japanese civilians committed suicide in the last days of the battle.
“That the U.S. was later (after WW II) awarded a mandate to govern Saipan does not invalidate Vigilanteman’s statement.
Regards, “
Regards. He said Japan received Saipan as a temporary trust territory. The League of Nations gave Saipan to Japan as a Mandate. The U.N. gave Saipan to the U.S. as a trust territory.
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