Posted by
BLOGASSAULT on Thursday, March 20, 2008 7:27:02 PM
Here is an
opinion from the Post, once again saying the federal government should not be interfering with the states, or districts in this case, ability to make their own gun laws. But as with all rights given to us in the constitution, the federal government would not have to get involved if those same states (or districts) wouldn't infringe on those rights. Of course even in the title of the opinion, it's about public safety.
Every right, including freedom of speech, is subject to some limitations. The legal and public policy arguments for allowing broad government regulation of firearms are compelling. District law bans private ownership of handguns and requires long guns to be kept in the home disassembled or stored with a trigger lock. This approach reflects the grim realities of an urban setting where handguns account for a disproportionate number of homicides and are used in a great majority of robberies and rapes.
The key here is "disassembled and locked away". Ownership usually includes the use of the article of ownership. The D.C. law renders the ownership of a handgun useless. It's like owning a car, but the wheels have to be stored in a shed locked to a metal post.
I can hear it already though,"Yea, but cars don't kill people!" Well guns don't magically jump off the table and kill people either. But a gun that is usable, could possibly save an innocent life.
There is also no mention of the fact that even with all those gun laws, crime is rampant in D.C. according to
the statistics. But look at all the states in the list. California, who has, by far, the most unfriendly gun laws in the nation is ranked 6th in the country in 2005.
(latest numbers). Then you look at Vermont, were you they have hardly law-one on the books regarding guns, and they are ranked 50th!
Sure, there are other states that show the opposite on both sides, but at the very least, it should show that gun regulation does not mean that crime goes down.
My guess is morals are down in those states.