Posted on 04/19/2012 3:29:08 PM PDT by SmithL
City council members are clearly bracing for choppy waters when a public hearing begins with a request that no one jeers.
"Some people might be on one side of the issue, some people on the other," Pinole Mayor Peter Murray said. "What I want is that everyone pledge that we're going to respect everyone's opinion and there will be no catcalls from the audience."
Taking center stage Tuesday night in the Pinole Council Chamber was a slugfest that needed only a ring announcer.
"In this corner, wearing red-white-and-blue trunks and still upright after 221 years, is the Second Amendment, guaranteeing gun rights to every American citizen.
"And his opponent, from the humble burg of Pinole, barely old enough to walk, is a proposed zoning ordinance prohibiting residential gun sales within city limits.
"Now, exchange glares and come out fighting."
The Second Amendment has been cited in support of open carry, assault rifles, gun shows and concealed weapons, but this argument was different. The Founding Fathers never mentioned anything about ensuring the right to sell semiautomatics out of your living room.
That Pinole landed in the middle of this issue was more an "oops" than a historic moment. Zoning laws dating to 1995 had prohibited such sales until 2010, when they were inadvertently omitted in revamped codes. That paved the way for city employee Rob Miller to apply for a home-occupation permit to sell firearms.
(Excerpt) Read more at contracostatimes.com ...
Oh, Really? So how do they know that. People back then were selling or trading their firearms. And secondly Lewis and Clark did have a semi-automatic weapon with them on their trip. It was an air rifle that shot as many times as you could pull the trigger. Really faked out the Indians.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pqFyKh-rUI
The Constitution restricts the POWERS of government. It does not grant rights.
/johnny
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