Judge strikes down DC's ban on handguns outside home

[ElectionsGuy]

Wall Street Journal

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Freedom Ruling.

[dead0man]

Oh no, crime will sky rocket in DC now!

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Freedom Judge, Freedom Ruling!

Oh no, crime will sky rocket in DC now!

OMGZ The good guyz can have gunz too??!

[Iosif]

I see the brain trust are out in full force tonight.

[Sopranos Republican]

Freedom Judge, Freedom Ruling!

Oh no, crime will sky rocket in DC now!

OMGZ The good guyz can have gunz too??!

What about The Safety of Our Children (TM.)?!?!

[free my dawg]

Glorious.

[Franzl]

You'd think Christmas came early judging some of the reactions here.

[King]

But you still can't bring them into any federal or municipal buildings, making it very inconvenient to carry outside the home if you have a job.

[Gass3268]

But you still can't bring them into any federal or municipal buildings, making it very inconvenient to carry outside the home if you have a job.

Or I would imagine any Metrorail or bus.

[AggregateDemand]

Freedom Ruling.

DC will switch to "may-issue", and they'll only issue to politicians and wealthy citizens. The ruling is virtually meaningless.

[Hifly]

The Second Amendment may be the dumbest statute still standing in the modern era.

[bedstuy]

This is not a positive step at all.  DC is a crowded city swarming with cops, it's insane to carry a gun for self-defense.  Maybe a few people will walk around strapped because they're scared of black people or whatever.  But, mostly this will have no effect on law-abiding citizens. 

The actual problem could for the police.  Imagine they've searched a suspect and they find an illegal gun.  He can claim it's a legal gun and perhaps they'll be forced to allow someone to go free and murder someone.  It could also interfere with police using an illegal gun charge to get someone off the streets so they can obtain warrants or prevent imminent violence.

[Franzl]

The Second Amendment may be the dumbest statute still standing in the modern era.

Hey, I've found a statement of yours with which I couldn't agree more strongly...

[Joe Republic]

The Second Amendment may be the dumbest statute still standing in the modern era.

Hey, I've found a statement of yours with which I couldn't agree more strongly...

You guys just don't get it.   USA USA USA

[Lief 🗽]

Freedom Ruling.

DC will switch to "may-issue", and they'll only issue to politicians and wealthy citizens. The ruling is virtually meaningless.

Glorious news!

[memphis]

I'm sure this judge plans on allowing guns in his courtroom. #Limousineconservative

[AggregateDemand]

This is not a positive step at all.  DC is a crowded city swarming with cops, it's insane to carry a gun for self-defense.  Maybe a few people will walk around strapped because they're scared of black people or whatever.  But, mostly this will have no effect on law-abiding citizens. 

The actual problem could for the police.  Imagine they've searched a suspect and they find an illegal gun.  He can claim it's a legal gun and perhaps they'll be forced to allow someone to go free and murder someone.  It could also interfere with police using an illegal gun charge to get someone off the streets so they can obtain warrants or prevent imminent violence.

DC is one of the homicide capitals of the United States. Do you know anything about concealed handgun licenses? The criminal can just tell the cop the gun is legal and the cop must let him go? Huh?

[dead0man]

This is not a positive step at all.  DC is a crowded city swarming with cops, it's insane to carry a gun for self-defense.  Maybe a few people will walk around strapped because they're scared of black people or whatever.  But, mostly this will have no effect on law-abiding citizens. 

The actual problem could for the police.  Imagine they've searched a suspect and they find an illegal gun.  He can claim it's a legal gun and perhaps they'll be forced to allow someone to go free and murder someone.  It could also interfere with police using an illegal gun charge to get someone off the streets so they can obtain warrants or prevent imminent violence.

I should give you credit as the only gun control nut here to make arguments, but they are so bad, I just can't.

[Nutmeg]

DC is one of the homicide capitals of the United States.

D.C.'s 2012 murder rate actually put it at only 19th among U.S. cities, below such "homicide capitals" as Buffalo, Milwaukee, and Oklahoma City.

There are many factors that have contributed to D.C.'s crime turnaround, but removing guns from criminals certainly is among them. I don't pretend to know how much of a role this played versus, say, removing lead from our drinking water and air, but I suspect it is a significant factor.

[AggregateDemand]

D.C.'s 2012 murder rate actually put it at only 19th among U.S. cities, below such "homicide capitals" as Buffalo, Milwaukee, and Oklahoma City.

There are many factors that have contributed to D.C.'s crime turnaround, but removing guns from criminals certainly is among them. I don't pretend to know how much of a role this played versus, say, removing lead from our drinking water and air, but I suspect it is a significant factor.

Homicide rate started falling after implementing and anti-gang task force in DC. Gangs don't get concealed handgun licenses. Also, the wiki you reference includes manslaughter. DC is a perpetual top-10 for homicide stats.

Unfortunately, the homicide rate rose sharply in 2013, due to the Navy shipyard shooting. Homicide rate was up sharply through the first half of 2014, as well. Violent crime is down, but homicide continues to plague the capital.

[SWE]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh2sWSVRrmo

[Deus Naturae]

The Second Amendment may be the dumbest statute still standing in the modern era.

Hey, I've found a statement of yours with which I couldn't agree more strongly...

Yeah, the fact that a guy who is probably a Nazi sympathizer is proclaiming the need for guns to be taken away from civilians doesn't really help your argument.

[bedstuy]

This is not a positive step at all.  DC is a crowded city swarming with cops, it's insane to carry a gun for self-defense.  Maybe a few people will walk around strapped because they're scared of black people or whatever.  But, mostly this will have no effect on law-abiding citizens. 

The actual problem could for the police.  Imagine they've searched a suspect and they find an illegal gun.  He can claim it's a legal gun and perhaps they'll be forced to allow someone to go free and murder someone.  It could also interfere with police using an illegal gun charge to get someone off the streets so they can obtain warrants or prevent imminent violence.

I should give you credit as the only gun control nut here to make arguments, but they are so bad, I just can't.

I'm curious why you think anyone in DC should be going around strapped, besides law enforcement officers.

Also, there's the problem of assassination.  DC has tons of public figures that crazy people might want to kill when they have a psychotic break.

[dead0man]

I'm curious why you think anyone in DC should be going around strapped, besides law enforcement officers.

Because certain parts of the city are nuts and if you have to travel there, you should have the right to defend yourself.

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What's to stop a fella from driving in from out of town if guns are illegal in the city?  It's not a problem now, I don't see it becoming a problem just because of this law.

[bedstuy]

I'm curious why you think anyone in DC should be going around strapped, besides law enforcement officers.

Because certain parts of the city are nuts and if you have to travel there, you should have the right to defend yourself.

Defend yourself from what?  There's some conceivable situation where a gun could be useful.  Those are way, way overestimated.  You can be safe other ways.  For example, always carry a decent amount of cash.  And, it's also not that simple.  Are you going to kill someone so they don't steal $50 from you?  It's funny, people here are so anti-Death penalty but they're fine with some Chuck Bronson wannabe acting as judge, jury and executioner.

And, ultimately, the self-defense rationale for guns holds no water in a collective sense.  Even if a gun makes you safer, the presence of guns makes the community less safe.  You should tolerate some level of risk if it means that everyone can be safer.

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What's to stop a fella from driving in from out of town if guns are illegal in the city?  It's not a problem now, I don't see it becoming a problem just because of this law.

Why make it easier?  If it's legal, people will have more access to guns in more places.  Just statistically, more guns means more chance that a psychotic person will have a gun and decide to kill a Senator or Supreme Court Justice.