Guns Over Democracy

Washington Post ^ | 7/4/5 | Editors

[SmithL]

PARLIAMENTARIANS gathered in Washington this holiday weekend from Europe and North America arrived just in time to witness the U.S. House of Representatives -- on the eve of the anniversary commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence -- trample upon the right of self-determination. Morphing themselves into city council members, a House majority overturned a city law and voted to allow D.C. residents to keep in their homes loaded shotguns and rifles, as well as handguns bought before 1976, unbounded by trigger locks or disassembled. The deed itself makes a mockery of Congress as a federal body. If the action is allowed to stand, however, the consequences could be even worse: The nation's capital will become a deadlier place in which to live.

The gun safety law that the House voted to repeal makes all the sense in the world. It enjoys the full backing of the city's mayor, council, police chief and, most important of all, the city's residents. Perhaps residents and their leaders want the law on the books because they know, even if the House does not, that properly locked or secured guns help prevent gun violence and accidental shootings. Perhaps District residents support their gun safety laws because they now see crime in their city at a 20-year low. Perhaps they also resent this imposition of House judgment because District residents, through their elected leaders, are authorized under the Home Rule Act to make their own laws. But perhaps they are outraged most of all because they have no vote in Congress. At the very time that the House was telling Americans living in the District what their local laws should be, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), the District's representative on Capitol Hill, had to stand by and watch

[Hat-Trick]

I disagree that it is an "ignorance" thing- I believe that it is more a deliberate disinformation thing. After all, if a lie is repeated often enough, and loudly enough, then it becomes true. Or maybe just believed.

Absolutely. They are much more diabolical when it comes to instituting their brand of socialism and it's accompanying tyranny than most citizens will give them credit for.

[Smokin' Joe]

As the murder capital of the U.S., that would be damned unlikely.

"Deadlier" is a matter of perspective. It would be deadlier for criminals, and there would likely be a 'spike' in the death rate while the criminal element was thinned before turning to the suburbs for targets.

But we must remember that politicians and criminals are often kindred spirits, so there is little doubt that both might feel threatened.

[Smokin' Joe]

Don't forget USPS employees!

Shhhhhhh! Don't upset the nice postal employee.....

[from occupied ga]

I'd expected the Washington Post to know better

Then you aren't familiar with the history of the w compost and guns. They once ran antigun editorials for 190 days in a row - some sort of record I believe. This is just another fabric of lies to support the compost's editorial board's fanatic hatred of freedom and individual rights.

[from occupied ga]

But we must remember that politicians and criminals are often kindred spirits

Oh the relationship is a lot closer than that in DC. Remember Marion Berry?

[OXENinFLA]

If the action [keeping unlocked, loaded guns] is allowed to stand, however, the consequences could be even worse: The nation's capital will become a deadlier place in which to live.

Who wrote this tripe?

[OXENinFLA]

The notion of Congress encouraging citizens in the nation's capital to keep loaded and unprotected guns in their homes borders on insanity.

I think the only insane people are the ones that wrote this editorial!!

[BigSkyFreeper]

The notion that DC is gun free is why the DC snipers had free reign on the area.

[Dead Corpse]

Morons like this author need to quite peeing down our necks and tell us its raining.

Too bad liars like this idiot can't be tarred and feathered like people during the Founders day were known to do...

[defconw]

I wnat to know why the left is so afraid of guns.

[45Auto]

Perhaps. But being stupid is not a valid reason to deny someone's Constitutional rights.

[45Auto]

This is good - but we'll see what that rotten RINO-RAT controlled Senate does.....

[45Auto]

I want to know why the left is so afraid of guns.

The left is not afraid of guns as long as those guns are in the hands of "the right people" - something along the lines of their communist buddies. They are only afraid of guns in the hands of those of us who know how tyrannical their thought processes are. And that includes no few number of bastards who sit in the US Congress.

[freepatriot32]

Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here

[traviskicks]

"Perhaps District residents support their gun safety laws because they now see crime in their city at a 20-year low."
---

But still the highest in the nation I believe. The place with the strictest gun laws has the highest crime in the nation? Sort of like how they have the highest education spending in the nation and the worst test scores (this I know for a fact). DC is a great social experimentation that shows the failures of liberalism.

"The Post is therefore ignorant as a hoe handle on the subject of the Constitution. But that is no surprise."

Especially considering the Constitution expressly prohibits any attempt to take away guns. The purpose of the Federal government is to prevent states from tyrannically interfering with the rights of their citizens. When the Federal government attempts to do things, like redisribute money, then it is itself in violation of the consititution. The Federal governent possesses primarily negative power (preventing laws) not positive power (power to 'do things').