Supreme Court Clarifies Gun Law

[liveonearth]

It was a 5/4 decision on "the Chicago Case" in which the Court said that city residents can have handguns for their own use, even in their home. The decision voids a 1982 Chicago ordinance outlawing home handguns, and furthermore overrides any city or state laws banning handguns. The folks who think the 2nd Amendment means that anybody can have any kind of gun they want for personal use are celebrating. Justice John Paul Stevens, the leading liberal on the court, takes the bench for the last time today.

Dennis Henigan of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence said the decision will be used by the gun lobby to challenge a myriad of state and local gun laws. "With few exceptions, these challenges will fail," he said.

By one estimate there are 200 million guns in the private ownership of about 90 million people (in the US). This is an average of 2.2 guns per owner. I wonder how many people have just one gun, and how many people have a hundred. According to government stats we have about 80 gun deaths a day, 34 of which are homicides.



THE SECOND AMENDMENT: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

It is my opinion that this amendment is particularly poorly written. It attributes the need for the people to have Arms to a "well regulated militia" and yet provides no guidance as to what that militia would look like. Wish they had been a little clearer and more specific with what they were imagining. I do know that the framers of the constitution considered government to be a major threat to the people, and that the people should be prepared to confront the government at any time. But most Americans are sheep, not wolves, and are more likely to be happy with their televisions, cars and drugs (bread and circuses) than to take up arms because the government is unjust. As the government gets more out of hand, however, this may change. And as the government gets more out of hand, I become more glad that people have guns. I just wish that fewer of the Arms that we have this "Right" to bear were used by gangs and drug dealers, or that the honorable and responsible gun owners would do a better job of protecting the flock. How do you manage guns in a civilization that is on the downward slide?

SOURCES
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sc-dc-0629-court-guns-20100628,0,3364958.story
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65Q0ND20100628?type=politicsNews
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65R35920100628

Comments

[rick-day.livejournal.com]

I have 2 at the cabin (a .38 police special and a .22 bolt action) and 5 here at the Center (a .357 revolver, .38 snub that is my personal weapon, a Ruger Mark II .22 semi auto pistol, a Ruger mini-14 semi auto assault rifle, and a sawed off double barrel 12 ga)

I've fired a blank round once in the sawed off.

I shot a magazine with the Ruger mini-14 (about 40 rounds)

I've never fired the .357 or .38

I haven't fired the Ruger .22 in over 10 years.

The use of guns by gangs will always be an issue as long as there is a value to consumables.

The use of guns by dealers will go away when we eliminate 4 consumable substances (coca, poppy, cannabis,fungi, and their refined by-products) from the black market.

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

So you own 7, but several of those guns are hobby pieces that you don't use, or backup pieces that just stay put in case AHBL. Then there's the 38 that you might fire should the situation require it. I have the sense of you that you are the responsible citizen who is likely to do more good than evil with your weapon.

I'd like to see the US de-criminalize all drugs, like Portugal has done, and begin to treat addicts like people who need help instead of like dirt. Decriminalization, or legalization, would allow regulation and taxation and change the situation dramatically. It's been interesting here in Oregon right now, the media is flooded with discussions of the medical marijuana system vs legalization. I think the shift on the cannabis front is close, but getting reasonable about all drugs is much father out.

I personally don't own any guns but I consider it from time to time.

[quayme.livejournal.com]

I have 5.

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

I wonder why those who don't have guns aren't saying anything. I wonder how many people have guns that the government doesn't know about. Hmmmm.

So I'm packing up right now, should get to TN by about July 18.