Bang, bang... you're alive

Washington Times ^ | Friday, July 18, 2003 | House Editorial

[JohnHuang2]

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch fired a shot heard around the District of Columbia this week. Three days ago, he introduced legislation to repeal the draconian gun-control laws that prevent Washington residents from owning handguns. Since 1976, the city has maintained the strictest, or close to the strictest, gun-control laws in the nation. Despite the gun ban, Washington has frequently had the highest homicide rate in the country. According to FBI statistics, it was the murder capital again last year, with its rate of 48.5 killings per 100,000 residents far ahead of other urban centers. Reflecting on this situation, Mr. Hatch said that the District's policy is "as ineffective and deplorable as it is unconstitutional." We could not agree more.

[JohnHuang2]

Friday, July 18, 2003

Quote of the Day by Paul Atreides

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[rmmcdaniell]

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch fired a shot heard around the District of Columbia this week. Three days ago, he introduced legislation to repeal the draconian gun-control laws that prevent Washington residents from owning handguns.

Finally he's making himself useful; instead of trying to make computers blow-up and allowing foreigners to be elected president.

[shekkian]

I don't know. If D.C residents have the mind to elect a crackhead mayor, will they be bright enough to go along with this?

[Bonaparte]

They won't need to go along with it. Congress has authority to repeal DC law. Any law. If DC citizens don't want to buy guns, that's their option. Got a hunch they'll be buying them though.

[Free the USA]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[Dead Corpse]

Just the idea of them repealing the gun ban in DC bring to mind the image of criminals fleeing the city like fleas jumping off a drowning rat.

[DonQ]

Putting more guns on the street in DC will not make anything better. DC may have the strictest gun laws, but the simple fact is that for more than 20 years it has had a subway system that lets anyone in DC zip out to either Maryland or Virginia, two states where guns are sold at department stores and shopping malls. DC is a petri dish of sociological problems and letting more people have guns means letting more of the problem people have guns. Not a very calming thought.

[Atlas Sneezed]

"Putting more guns on the street in DC will not make anything better. ...letting more people have guns means letting more of the problem people have guns."

Wow! You fail to consider that the "problem people" are currently forbidden to have guns (I assume that by "problem," you meant criminal, not black.)

Thus, allowing the honest citizens have guns in their homes and businesses for self defense would not allow any more "problem people" to have guns. After all, you make the case that the DC criminals already have easy access to guns even under the ban.

You also ignore the data showing that liberalizing gun possession (in the form of concealed carry) has even slightly reduced crime. If you were a criminal with a gun, would you want all your prey to have the right to be armed, or not?

[Shooter 2.5]

Does this have to be a Bill then go to the Senate and be signed by the President?

[Abe Froman]

I'm not sure why you're even reading this site, but as you have taken the step of being here, we might as well educate you.....

#1) The "problem people" already have the guns. They currently disobey the law, keeping and carrying guns. A new law allowing people to own and carry guns will only increase the number of LAW ABIDING people that carry (currently zero or slightly above.)

#2) I am sick of the blanket "guns in the street" straw man argument. It is as if there is no difference between a law-abiding citizen or a criminal, the statement indicts both. Let's get this straight: guns in the hands of criminals, bad; guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens, good. Can you explain to me why it would be bad to allow a law-abiding citizen to carry a gun?

[hopespringseternal]

DC may have the strictest gun laws, but the simple fact is that for more than 20 years it has had a subway system that lets anyone in DC zip out to either Maryland or Virginia, two states where guns are sold at department stores and shopping malls.

Sorry, but there is no way around it: Is it painful to type something that stupid? Can you not read what you just typed?

You say the wrong people are getting guns too easily, so we have to keep gun illegal or the wrong people might get them?

I am going to take an aspirin now. The stupidity of your argument is hurting me, I can't imagine what it is doing to you.

[TERMINATTOR]

DC (or anywhere else) doesn't have ANY gun/arms laws, what they have is lots of illegal legislation. There's a big difference between chief Moose's state Maryland, and Virginia. Virginia has more guns and less crime.

Molon Labe!

[CHICAGOFARMER]

Putting more guns on the street in DC will not make anything better. DC may have the strictest gun laws, but the simple fact is that for more than 20 years it has had a subway system that lets anyone in DC zip out to either Maryland or Virginia, two states where guns are sold at department stores and shopping malls. DC is a petri dish of sociological problems and letting more people have guns means letting more of the problem people have guns. Not a very calming thought.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx


How stupid are you???


Honest men and women with firearms freed this country from elitist, socialist programs where the govt knows best.

The sad thing is my great great great great uncle died in the battle of the wilderness to allow you to spew your crap.

Son of the American Revolution

[teeman8r]

when this bill is voted down, and it might well be, the resounding echoes of guns being fired into the night will be deafening... the criminals celebrating victory over the lawabiding citizens of DC...

donQ, perhaps you should put some ice on all those blisters from the flaming you are getting...

it is sad that we need to legislate our rights... very sad

teeman