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Cities side with D.C. in gun case
Star-Telegram.com ^ | Jan. 16, 2008 | JENNIFER A. DLOUHY

Posted on 01/16/2008 9:17:27 PM PST by neverdem


Hearst Newspapers

Seattle, Milwaukee and other large U.S. cities are warning the Supreme Court that gun-control laws around the nation would be jeopardized if the justices decide to eliminate the local District of Columbia ban on handguns.

In a legal brief filed with the high court, the cities, joined by the nonpartisan U.S. Conference of Mayors, argue that they suffer "disproportionately" from firearm violence and should be able to enact reasonable restrictions on the weapons.

"Major American cities ... bear the brunt of the problem," said the legal brief, signed by Seattle City Attorney Thomas Carr and lawyers for the other cities. The brief was primarily written by lawyers with the San Francisco-based Legal Community Against Violence, a group that works to prevent gun crimes.

The Supreme Court will hear arguments in March over the constitutionality of the D.C. ordinance that prohibits owning handguns. The ban applies to all residents of Washington, D.C., except active and retired law enforcement officers. The D.C. law allows private ownership of rifles and shotguns but requires residents to use trigger locks or to disassemble those weapons in their homes.

After six D.C. residents challenged the law in federal court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled in their favor last year and said the ordinance violated an "individual right to keep and bear arms" embodied in the Second Amendment. The Supreme Court agreed to hear the district's appeal of the ruling and is poised to consider its biggest gun-rights case in almost 70 years.

The 11 cities that signed the brief were: Baltimore, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, Oakland, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle and Trenton, N.J.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2a; banglist; heller; infringed; parker
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1 posted on 01/16/2008 9:17:29 PM PST by neverdem
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To: neverdem

“Major American cities ... bear the brunt of the problem,”


“Major American cities ... CAUSE the brunt of the problem,”


2 posted on 01/16/2008 9:19:01 PM PST by Atlas Sneezed ("We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts; I support them, I won't chip away at them" -Mitt Romney)
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To: neverdem
Gun ownership is a fundamental Constitutional right. These liberal cities can piss off. Frankly, I can’t find anything in the Constitution about federal “aid” to cities...
3 posted on 01/16/2008 9:22:23 PM PST by Mad_Tom_Rackham (Elections have consequences.)
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To: neverdem
In a legal brief filed with the high court, the cities, joined by the nonpartisan U.S. Conference of Mayors, argue that they suffer "disproportionately" from firearm violence and should be able to enact reasonable restrictions on the weapons.

And of course, those inclined to commit firearm violence would be more than willing to obey the restrictions...

4 posted on 01/16/2008 9:36:27 PM PST by DTogo (I haven't left the GOP, the GOP left me.)
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To: neverdem

Will the NRA, GOA, JPF create and send briefs to the Supremes opposing any opinion that strengthens, supports, or defends continued gun restrictions?


5 posted on 01/16/2008 10:02:13 PM PST by Bear_Slayer (When liberty is outlawed only outlaws will have liberty.)
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To: Beelzebubba

Maybe they haven’t been watching the death wish films on AMC this week.


6 posted on 01/16/2008 10:07:16 PM PST by eyedigress
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To: neverdem

“The 11 cities that signed the brief were: Baltimore, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, Oakland, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle and Trenton, N.J.”

Just a guess here. Probably none of these cities has a Republican Mayor. Kali has a sort of-Republican Governator, do any of the others?

Crime breeds where it is not held back.


7 posted on 01/16/2008 10:19:48 PM PST by Rembrandt (We would have won Viet Nam w/o Dim interference.)
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To: neverdem

It would be instructive to know what percentage of these cities are ILLEGAL SANCTUARY cities, in fact even if not declared...


8 posted on 01/16/2008 10:24:44 PM PST by The Spirit Of Allegiance (Public Employees: Honor Your Oaths! Defend the Constitution from Enemies--Foreign and Domestic!)
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To: neverdem
More importantly, even granting the ludicrous notion that machine guns are Founding-era weapons at heart, recall the appeals court's assertion that the Second Amendment doesn't protect all arms "that can be traced back to the Founding era." It protects arms akin to those in "common use" at that time, and those that are in "common use" today.

And no military in the world, that I know of, issues semiautomatic weapons to it's infantry troops. Specialists like snipers, yes, but not the common grunt. The grunts get machine guns or submachine guns in some armies. I'd say that makes machine guns in pretty common use. That includes vehicle crews and even mechanics at least in some armies, in others they get semi-auto handguns.

9 posted on 01/16/2008 10:26:51 PM PST by El Gato ("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
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To: neverdem
(Cities) suffer "disproportionately" from firearm violence...
"Major American cities ... bear the brunt of the problem..."

I got that point. What I didn't read is what they say about WHY they are in such a predicament.

10 posted on 01/16/2008 10:29:40 PM PST by Rudder
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To: Bear_Slayer
Will the NRA, GOA, JPF create and send briefs to the Supremes opposing any opinion that strengthens, supports, or defends continued gun restrictions?

Statement of the National Rifle Association By Wayne LaPierre And Chris Cox On The Pending U.S. Supreme Court Case

It's yes at least for the NRA.

11 posted on 01/16/2008 10:32:54 PM PST by neverdem (Call talk radio. We need a Constitutional Amendment for Congressional term limits. Let's Roll!)
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To: neverdem

Reminder bump!


12 posted on 01/16/2008 11:09:25 PM PST by Tunehead54 (Nothing funny here. ;-)
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To: neverdem

Well at least the President is on our side. He’s a republican. Whew!


13 posted on 01/16/2008 11:11:34 PM PST by DoughtyOne (< fence >< sound immigration policies >< /weasles >< /RINOs >< /Reagan wannabees that are liberal >)
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To: neverdem

Let’s see if I have this right:

We, major American cities, are infested with lowlifes who threaten people with guns. In order to ensure they can continue to issue and implement these threats with total impunity, we must be able to keep their victims defenseless.

Makes sense to a liberal, I guess.


14 posted on 01/16/2008 11:12:41 PM PST by John Locke
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To: neverdem

What a shock, NOT. A bunch of Liberal cities want to continue to be able to keep their populations from defending themselves. They won’t change any votes on the Court.


15 posted on 01/16/2008 11:22:12 PM PST by Repeal 16-17 (Let me know when the Shooting starts.)
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To: neverdem
"The 11 cities that signed the brief were: Baltimore, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, Oakland, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle and Trenton, N.J."

All Blue Zone cities. Duh.

16 posted on 01/16/2008 11:38:44 PM PST by the lone wolf (Good Luck, and watch out for stobor.)
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To: the lone wolf

Just what I want - some thick-witted city councilman who got elected by buying a few rounds of drinks at the local Elks Club taking away my 2nd Amendment rights. It’s the U.S. Constitution people. Not an local option in Anytown, USA.


17 posted on 01/16/2008 11:50:56 PM PST by beelzepug ("Your life is nothing but the sum of your decisions.")
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To: neverdem

Perhaps major cities could address the PROBLEM, which is criminals using guns to commit crimes, instead of sloppy, lazy, attempts to impose one-size-fits-all solutions, which just ban all guns, and penalize honest citizens more than the criminals? You know, respecting the US Constitution at the same time?

Is that too much to ask from our hired public servants?


18 posted on 01/16/2008 11:58:39 PM PST by jeffers
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To: Rembrandt

No Republican mayor in Sacramento. I can’t remember the last Republican we had. The mayors here usually try to imitate what San Francisco is doing. She must have spoken with Gavin Newsom to get in on the ground floor on this one.


19 posted on 01/17/2008 12:10:20 AM PST by Judges Gone Wild
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To: neverdem

Note my tagline...


20 posted on 01/17/2008 1:41:45 AM PST by JDoutrider (No 2nd Amendment... Know Tyranny)
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