Court Strikes Down D.C. Handgun Ban

A U.S. appeals court struck down a three-decade-old District of Columbia law that bans residents from keeping a handgun in their homes, saying the Constitution's Second Amendment protects an individual right to bear arms.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...ZiDGM&refer=us

In a 2-1 decision, the judges held that the activities protected by the Second Amendment "are not limited to militia service, nor is an individual's enjoyment of the right contingent upon his or her continued intermittent enrollment in the militia."

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/03/09/D8NOQQ480.html

[ASWnut101]

HUUUUURRAYYYY!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by ASWnut101

HUUUUURRAYYYY!!!!!!!

I knew you'd like this.

BTW SCOTUS is under no obligation to hear any appeal to the lower court ruling.

As Skynard would say, 'Give Me Back My bullets'

[elite_hunter_sh3]

excellent...... now american population will kill each other faster :rotfl::rotfl:

no seriously though,, i lov the rules for shooting ranges, i can fire enything i want under 18 with parental supervision. but i dont like the public gun laws and how easy it is to get a gun..

Originally Posted by elite_hunter_sh3

excellent...... now american population will kill each other faster :rotfl::rotfl:

no seriously though,, i lov the rules for shooting ranges, i can fire enything i want under 18 with parental supervision. but i dont like the public gun laws and how easy it is to get a gun..

An armed society is a polite society. Now the criminals won't be the only people with guns, and the criminal element, will think twice before harming another human being. Sh1t, man, that lady might have a gun!

[stabiz]

Originally Posted by waste gate

An armed society is a polite society. Now the criminals won't be the only people with guns, and the criminal element, will think twice before harming another human being. Sh1t, man, that lady might have a gun!

That is some warped logic right there.

Lets continue your thinking a bit. Lets say every human on the planet had a gun. Nobody would fire at each other then? lol

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by elite_hunter_sh3

excellent...... now american population will kill each other faster :rotfl::rotfl:

no seriously though,, i lov the rules for shooting ranges, i can fire enything i want under 18 with parental supervision. but i dont like the public gun laws and how easy it is to get a gun..

There are always other countries to live in - I think the UK has all guns pretty much banned. Try there.

-S

[Bort]

Wow, I'm somewhat surprised anyone would be that excited about a court ruling only affecting a place you don't even live in. The people of DC decided they didn't want guns in their city, and it was overturned by the HEAVILY conservative DC court of appeals.

This neatly brings me on to the issue of whether or not the District should be given at least quasi-state status, if nothing else for fairness sake. The US congress has far reaching powers into their governance, despite the fact that they do not have any voting representatives in either the house or the senate. I say they should be given 2 senators and a fair apportionment of congressmen, and that the Mayor of DC should have powers approximating a governor. What does everyone else think?

BTW, if you have never been to DC, they are very aware of their unusual status. Here's what their license plates look like:

Originally Posted by Bort

Wow, I'm somewhat surprised anyone would be that excited about a court ruling only affecting a place you don't even live in. The people of DC decided they didn't want guns in their city, and it was overturned by the HEAVILY conservative DC court of appeals.

This neatly brings me on to the issue of whether or not the District should be given at least quasi-state status, if nothing else for fairness sake. The US congress has far reaching powers into their governance, despite the fact that they do not have any voting representatives in either the house or the senate. I say they should be given 2 senators and a fair apportionment of congressmen, and that the Mayor of DC should have powers approximating a governor. What does everyone else think?

BTW, if you have never been to DC, they are very aware of their unusual status. Here's what their license plates look like:

The decision was rendered by a US Apeals court so it affects the entire nation (see the supremacy clause of the US Constitution) and gives all US citizens the ability to defend themselves.

As far as giving DC statehood, the District of Columbia, founded on July 16, 1790, is a federal district as specified by the United States Constitution. An amendment is required to change that status.

[Fish]

Originally Posted by Bort

and it was overturned by the HEAVILY conservative DC court of appeals.

I think judge's shouldn't be political chosen.
Sounds ridiculous to me, a democratic or conservative court of appeal.

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by Fish

I think judge's shouldn't be political chosen.
Sounds ridiculous to me, a democratic or conservative court of appeal.

Only the Supreme court is like this. Other judges are elected. Some circuits just typically rule conservatively. THis may be one of them.

-S

[Bertgang]

Maybe I am wrong, but the problem I see with you system is about this:

US have a very large legal market for personal weapons; no special problem, until everything runs as supposed (just fine people, with a responsible attitude, has the right to purchase rifles and pistols).

More difficult to say if all legal weapons owners will be so fine as supposed.
Here I'm not speaking about the rare man who could become a mad murder, but the vicious use of this freedom.
Maybe someone is ready to sell again his weapons to someone who couldn't make a purchase on the legal market.
Maybe exist laws against that, but the trick to overrun them is really simple; sell your revolver to the worst criminal, then tell to police that it was lost, forgotten or stolen somewhere.
An easy and safe way to make money.

As I can see on this forum, lot of US homes are filled with any kind of weapons; why a criminal should buy them, when it's so easy to have some for free by simple theft?
Sure, it's a risk of bullets, but normal people sometimes sleeps, leaves home for holidays and so on; furthermore, the good armed cityzen isn't a full time armed sentinel or sniper.

Maybe someone has really an added chance to flee a chicken's thief, but I frankly doubt that the average outcome of your free weapon market could be for the legal side.

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by Bertgang

Maybe I am wrong, but the problem I see with you system is about this:

US have a very large legal market for personal weapons; no special problem, until everything runs as supposed (just fine people, with a responsible attitude, has the right to purchase rifles and pistols).

More difficult to say if all legal weapons owners will be so fine as supposed.
Here I'm not speaking about the rare man who could become a mad murder, but the vicious use of this freedom.
Maybe someone is ready to sell again his weapons to someone who couldn't make a purchase on the legal market.
Maybe exist laws against that, but the trick to overrun them is really simple; sell your revolver to the worst criminal, then tell to police that it was lost, forgotten or stolen somewhere.
An easy and safe way to make money.

As I can see on this forum, lot of US homes are filled with any kind of weapons; why a criminal should buy them, when it's so easy to have some for free by simple theft?
Sure, it's a risk of bullets, but normal people sometimes sleeps, leaves home for holidays and so on; furthermore, the good armed cityzen isn't a full time armed sentinel or sniper.

Maybe someone has really an added chance to flee a chicken's thief, but I frankly doubt that the average outcome of your free weapon market could be for the legal side.

I see your point. I have several weapons as you may have figured out, but one thing is for certain on every last one of them - I have a paper trail on where they have been and when they were purchased. What you may not understand is that each and every last one of them has a serial # on it, so if it were ever stolen - reporting it stolen could be a major offence to the person that posseses it when the cops find it.

One more thing - anyone I know that has a gun (majority do in the state I live in) practices with it. They know how to shoot something - unlike what you see in the movies where they can't hit a barn door. Of course this can be annoying on a rainy day when you have to wait for a lane at the local range. Arrghh!!!

Last thing - a simple statement as given by our founding fathers (Benjamin Franklin):

They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty nor security

-S

[Bort]

I am not in argument that DC was made a federal district in the constitution, my question is whether or not the people that live within the district should be given powers equivalent to a state, although whether or not DC should become a state is a different question.

As far as the court ruling goes, this only effects the jurisdiction of the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, which is DC only. Although the DC appeals court does have some powers over government not available to other Circuits, they do not have the power to overturn laws outside the District.

So sorry if that ruined your party, but this has zero effect on the laws of the 50 states.

Originally Posted by Bort

I am not in argument that DC was made a federal district in the constitution, my question is whether or not the people that live within the district should be given powers equivalent to a state, although whether or not DC should become a state is a different question.

As far as the court ruling goes, this only effects the jurisdiction of the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, which is DC only. Although the DC appeals court does have some powers over government not available to other Circuits, they do not have the power to overturn laws outside the District.

So sorry if that ruined your party, but this has zero effect on the laws of the 50 states.

I took this from your post.
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Appeals from the D.C. Circuit, as with all the U.S. Courts of Appeals, are heard on a discretionary basis by the Supreme Court. It should not be confused with the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

I have no particular position as to whether or not DC should be given statehood. An amendment to the Constitution is all that is necessary.