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The Court defers to plain language
Washington Times ^ | Friday, June 27, 2008 | Wesley Pruden

Posted on 06/28/2008 2:22:13 AM PDT by JohnHuang2

A nice day's work at the Supreme Court ought to be enough to sober the conservatives who look forward to spending election day sulking because they're unable to fall in love with John McCain.

Justice Antonin Scalia's majority opinion, a tribute to the Constitution's clear and plain language upholding the Second Amendment, demonstrates amply that the importance of justices of the Supreme Court is equaled only by the importance of the man who appoints them. Though trusting any pol is necessarily a leap of faith, Mr. McCain makes more reassuring noises about that presidential responsibility than the man standing in his way to the White House.

(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: banglist; heller; judiciary; scotus; secondamandment

Have gun, less crime

In response to the startling discovery by the Supreme Court Thursday that the 2nd Amendment exists, Obama at first tried to fake support for the decision, then showed his staggering mastery of clueless-ness with: "What works in Chicago may not work in Cheyenne."

The Supremes struck down the District of Columbia's moronic, 32-year-old blanket gun ban, ruling that the 2nd Amendment's language -- "the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed" -- mysteriously means the people's right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

The Amendment's language had always been manifestly clear, but apparently not clear enough for liberals who seem to find clauses spelling out "gay marriage," partial-birth abortion, forced busing, racial quotas and habeas corpus for bin Laden; so libbies -- including four mentally impaired lawyers on the High Court -- are still confused. "An individual now has a constitutional right to own guns," sniffed James Vicini of Reuters, thinking a shiny "new right" had rolled off Scalia's assembly line. From the beginning, the 2nd Amendment was understood by real Americans to be an individual right, so libbies insisted it only applies to state militias that don't exist anymore. The ruling was SCOTUS's first-ever interpretation of the 2nd Amendment and, short of writing the ruling in crayons for liberals, attempted to settle the long-running debate liberals have had with plain English in the Constitution. (Liberals were sure "2nd Amendment" had to mean '2nd class citizenship' for gun owners.)

The doofus mayor of D.C., Adrian Fenty, complained hysterically that "more handguns will lead to more handgun violence." Apparently, the District's gun ban had "worked" so well that around 300 people were being murdered every year by handguns with access to bullets, human hands and car keys.

Liberals were so devastated by the ruling, the poor little dears were even showing signs of moving through the four stages of grief. Denial: Impact of Gun Ruling Limited, Experts Say -- New York Times. Pelosi Says D.C. Should Continue Gun Regulation -- The Hill. Anger: Gun-Control Supporters Show Outrage -- New York Times. Despair: "Sen. Dianne Feinstein says the ruling destroys decades of precedent. 'I think it opens this nation to a dramatic lack of safety,'" (USA Today). Acceptance: "This opinion still allows commonsense gun control laws," said Paul Helmke of the Brady Campaign, which argued before the court that this opinion would not allow "commonsense" gun control laws.

Sounding as coherent as ever, Chicago mayor Richard Daley said he didn't know if the court's ruling will affect Chicago's insanely stupid gun ban, then moments later called it "a very frightening decision."

Taking their guidance from staunch gun-control advocates Hitler and Stalin, liberals of Obama/Daley's ilk in Chicago had enacted their own idiotic ban on handguns and, because the ban has been a total failure, have kept it in place for decades. The ban is so strict, the only ones exempt from it are police officers, aldermen and every deadly gang in Chicago.

Liberals had this brilliant idea that the way to solve crime is to make sure only criminals have guns. It's like communism during the Cold War. You'd explained until you were blue in the face that the basket-case Soviet state was a basket-case for a reason, but libbies insisted the way to go was 5-year plans, bureaucrats and gulags -- keys to "prosperity," if only the Soviets hung in there another 75 years. It's working so beautifully in North Korea.

The evidence didn't fit the beloved template, so they ditched the evidence. And judging from the evidence, gun-banning "works" as 'really well' in Chicago as it's "worked" in the propped up basket-case of D.C.

From 1990-1999, Chicago's "reasonable" "commonsense" gun-grabbing resulted in over 8,000 "commonsense" murders, even as crime overall was falling in the rest of America. From 2000-2006, there were nearly 4,000 murders in Chicago -- we need a timetable to withdraw from this civil war now. The gun-grabbers claim that gun control is "working" because there were 628 murders in 2000, whereas last year only over 430 people got murdered.

And as if this wasn't good enough, only 27,308 crimes have been committed in Chicago in the last 30 days; 440,300 crimes in the last 12 months; nearly 82,000 thefts, 26,000 assaults, 25,000 burglaries, 78,000 cases of battery, all accomplished in the last 12 months. Numerous hit-and-run traffic crimes, too. There's "gun violence," so this is "car violence." We need "reasonable" "commonsense" car control!

Big picture-wise, it's been the case for decades that one out of every four "gun murders" occur in New York City, Washington D.C. and Chicago, gun-banning meccas representing under 5 percent of America's population.

Obama says he's always supported the 2nd Amendment since last Thursday morning. Before that, from last November to around February 12, Obama insisted the D.C. gun ban was "Constitutional"; then from February 15 to June 24, Obama declined to take a position on the D.C. gun ban; then on June 25, Obama said he'll wait and see what SCOTUS decides before deciding what his core belief is on the D.C. gun ban; then the next day, Obama disavowed the position he took last November on the D.C. gun ban, insisting it wasn't his position but that of some staffer who was "inartful" in trying to explain Obama's position on the D.C. gun ban. But this mysterious "staffer" fella told interviewer Leon Harris in a forum on February 12 that he supported the D.C. gun ban. Harris kept referring to this "staffer" as Sen. Barack Obama. This is the same chap who was standing behind a podium next to Hillary in the Philadelphia debate back in April, who confessed to moderator Charlie Gibson that he hadn't "listened to the briefs and looked at all the evidence" in the case of the D.C. gun ban. Don't worry, he'll change his mind again when he's delivering his concession speech in November.

Anyway, that's...
My Two Cents...
"JohnHuang2"


1 posted on 06/28/2008 2:22:13 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
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To: JohnHuang2
"Adrian Fenty, the mayor of Washington, said he would direct the D.C. cops to figure out a way around the decision."

Good luck with that - moron. If you enjoy being grilled in endless depositions and spending days and weeks in front of Federal Judges, y'all just keep on trying to deny people a Conitutional right.

2 posted on 06/28/2008 2:31:00 AM PDT by Enterprise (Let all Democrats have a half vote. They deserve it!)
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To: JohnHuang2
As always, your 'two cents' is priceless.

Laughed my butt off through the whole thing...

3 posted on 06/28/2008 2:59:01 AM PDT by realdifferent1
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To: realdifferent1

“...Obama disavowed the position he took last November on the D.C. gun ban, insisting it wasn’t his position but that of some staffer who was “inartful” in trying to explain Obama’s position on the D.C. gun ban. But this mysterious “staffer” fella told interviewer Leon Harris in a forum on February 12 that he supported the D.C. gun ban...”
Priceless! Wes, great job!


4 posted on 06/28/2008 4:18:37 AM PDT by Shady (The Fairness Doctrine is ANYTHING but fair!!!!)
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To: JohnHuang2
Mr. McCain makes more reassuring noises about that presidential responsibility than the man standing in his way to the White House.

I just don't buy it. First off, you cannot trust what comes out of McCain's mouth.

Second, McCain has over his career demonstrated a contempt for the Constitution with his love for big government programs and regulations. Isn't McCain-Feingold enough of an assault of 1st Amendment rights for people to realize this guy abhors what the founders stood for?

Finally, if the hope of the GOP is that grassroots conseravtives are going to rally around a lackluster, socialist Republican because of potential Supreme Court appointments they are greatly underestimating the disgust people are feeling for the party.
5 posted on 06/28/2008 4:35:55 AM PDT by PastorTony
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To: PastorTony
"the disgust people are feeling for the party"

Though the GOP has been bad of late, McCain has been leading the way for decades.

6 posted on 06/28/2008 5:50:32 AM PDT by Paladin2 (Huma for co-president! (it ain't over 'til it's over))
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To: PastorTony

They also underestimate the ignorance of those on the right that will sit out the election or vote third party.


7 posted on 06/28/2008 7:01:28 AM PDT by mimaw
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To: mimaw

After watching the GOP put up six successive Presidential candiates that are not conservative one would be truly ignorant if he didn’t sit out or vote third party.

Conservatives made the mistake of supporting Bush in 88, since then it has been downhill ever since with each successive Presidential candiate being more liberal than the previous one. You are either fooling yourself or uninformed if you think the GOP is a conservative party.


8 posted on 06/28/2008 7:32:32 AM PDT by PastorTony
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To: JohnHuang2

The bad news is 4 of 9 Supreme Court judges cannot read the plain language of the US Constitution and unfortunately too often its 5 of 9.


9 posted on 06/28/2008 7:45:30 AM PDT by ricks_place
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To: PastorTony
I didn't say it was a conservative party. But the republican platform and most of its pols are pro life pro marriage pro defense and pro gun. Can you say the same for the other party? Since we are a two party country and third parties are nothing but spoilers. I vote for those that come more closely to my views. Is it perfect no, but when conservative present a candidate with the appeal of Ronald Reagan that candidate will win the republican nomination.
10 posted on 06/28/2008 7:49:58 AM PDT by mimaw
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To: JohnHuang2

If clear and plain language of our Constitution is herefore embraced; “Cruel and unusual punishment” will mean just that and the death pentalty is not considered as that.


11 posted on 06/28/2008 7:53:31 AM PDT by Uncle George
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To: mimaw
I didn't say it was a conservative party. But the republican platform and most of its pols are pro life pro marriage pro defense and pro gun.

Pro-life and pro-marriage are social conservative positions, but not necessarily positions supporting the principle of limited government. In fact, many "social conservatives" would have no problem using a strong centralized federal government to impose their values on people, the same way the left would like to impose secular values on people. The GOP may claim to be pro-gun, but they speak out of both sides of their mouth when they enact legislation regulating the sale and manufacture of firearms. There are few in the GOP calling for the overturning of all federal firearm regulation, truly honoring the 2A. Lastly, both the GOP & Dems are pro-defense in that they view the military as a means of policing the world. They just disagree on where they should be policing. Imposing big government on foreign countries is not a conservative principle.

Since we are a two party country and third parties are nothing but spoilers.

We have actually devolved to a one-party country as both the GOP and Dems offer up their version of big government. Neither of the two support limited government by any stretch of the imagination. They are both playing for the same team, they are simply wearing different uniforms. We need a third party to emerge so that a true debate over the current state of government vs our founding principles can be had.

I vote for those that come more closely to my views

Neither the GOP the Dems come even remotley close to my views. I believe in limited government and individual liberty - they don't and therefore neither of them will get my vote.
12 posted on 06/28/2008 8:12:38 AM PDT by PastorTony
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To: PastorTony

Welcome to FR, PT. Things getting slow over at DU?


13 posted on 06/28/2008 12:32:47 PM PDT by Redleg Duke ("All gave some, and some gave all!")
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To: Redleg Duke
Welcome to FR, PT. Things getting slow over at DU?

So if someone comes here and doesn't spew the party line they are accused of being a Democrat plant? How's that tin foil hat fitting you?
14 posted on 06/28/2008 1:29:15 PM PDT by PastorTony
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To: PastorTony

George Bush gave us a successful Heller decision. That legacy will live on for decades. McCain promised to do the same.

Obama is gnashing his teeth over the decision and you don’t care if he’s elected and able to seat Supreme Court Justices?


15 posted on 06/28/2008 5:26:18 PM PDT by Shooter 2.5 (NRA - Vote against the dem party)
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To: Shooter 2.5

To start, I don’t trust McCain’s words one bit. But that’s beside the point. The conservative wing of the court is younger, those that will likely retire over the next four years will come from the liberal wing. So if McCain or Obama nominates liberal justices it won’t change the balance of the court. The SC, however, is not enough of a reason for me to vote for a statist.

No matter how much fearmongering folks like yourself engage in, there is no way I will ever pull the lever for McCain and there are a lot of traditional conservatives that feel the same as I do.


16 posted on 06/28/2008 5:57:13 PM PDT by PastorTony
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