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To: big ern
Another lawyer showing up.

Look, any reasonable person should concede that the federal government has a right to limit private ownership of firearms under certain circumstances. The common law at the time of ratification recognized that felons could be deprived of certain rights. If you take a strict, literalist approach, then a convicted felon should have the right to an automatic rifle even while sitting in prison.

There also are some common-law guidelines for what can constitute a felony, so it's not like chewing gum would qualify. It's a reasonable and well-reasoned decision.

81 posted on 10/16/2001 3:10:23 PM PDT by XJarhead
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To: XJarhead
There also are some common-law guidelines for what can constitute a felony, so it's not like chewing gum would qualify.

Really? Well, maybe chewing gum does not qualify as a felony, but here in Oregon, driving a car with a suspended license is a felony. That seems a lot like "gum chewing" to me.

91 posted on 10/16/2001 3:27:34 PM PDT by Henrietta
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To: XJarhead
Look, any reasonable person should concede that the federal government has a right to limit private ownership of firearms under certain circumstances.

I don't know if I like the wording in that sentence. Maybe it would sound better if it read. "look, any reasonbable person should concede that the individual can commit crimes that would warrant the loss of certain rights belonging to the non-felon; such as murder, drug trafficing, bank robbery, etc.."

To some the first sentence sounds reasonable, but I bet there are plenty of Dershowitz style attorneys out there that would love to nibble our rights to death and that first sentence sounds more edible.

92 posted on 10/16/2001 3:28:27 PM PDT by TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig
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