Washington, D.C. City Council Ignoring Supreme Court Ruling
-- Discharge petition filed on gun ban repeal
Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org
Monday, July 28, 2008
In open defiance of the Supreme Court's decision striking down the
Washington D.C. gun control law, the City Council passed an
"emergency" law that keeps in place almost all of the law that was
ruled unconstitutional.
For example, though the Court ruled specifically that the city's ban on
handguns violated the Second Amendment, most handguns still
cannot be registered because D.C. bureaucrats classify
semi-automatic pistols as "machine guns."
Even Dick Heller, who brought the case against Washington's gun
ban, was rejected when he tried to register his handgun because any
"bottom loading" firearm is a "machine gun"
according to the D.C.
police.
Similarly, while the Court found that "the requirement that any lawful
firearm in the home be disassembled or bound by a "trigger lock" is
unconstitutional, the city kept in place the "lock up your
safety" law
unless the resident is in immediate danger.
The D.C. Council is thus rendering the Supreme Court victory for gun
rights meaningless, while leaving residents defenseless.
Congress needs to repeal the District's gun control law to ensure that the
Supreme Court decision is not a hollow victory.
According to Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, Congress has
the authority and responsibility to govern the District. It can simply
repeal the District's onerous gun law.
Not surprisingly, however, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has no
intention of allowing the D.C. gun ban repeal legislation to come to the
floor, even though it is cosponsored by more than half of the members
of Congress.
To free the bill from the Speaker's death grip, Representative Mark
Souder (R-IN) has filed a discharge petition to bring the bill directly to
the floor. Rep. Souder needs 218 cosigners for the petition to be
successful. There are currently 109 signers.
There are not many days left in this legislative session, so it is vital that
the discharge petition moves quickly. Please contact your representative
and urge him or her to support the repeal of the D.C. gun ban and to
sign the Souder discharge petition. You can visit the Gun Owners
Legislative Action Center at
http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to
send your Reps. the pre-written e-mail message below.
DC gun ban... More news.
