[Nov3]

He's a bright guy, and speaks well. But he ain't no scholar on the history and details of the Constitution, from 1787 to 2005. Nor has he practiced in the Supreme Court, as I have for 32 years.

I bet he knows you don't need to register guns in the US.

[Congressman Billybob]

Until the Supreme Court acts differently on the 2nd Amendment, gun permits will remain legal in many jurisdictions, including Western Carolina where I live. That's for pistols. Long guns are still free as a bird. It varies by jurisdiction.

Of course, gun ownership has nothing to do with the current legality of guns in any jurisdiction. D.C. forbids law-abiding citizens from owning guns. Yet any teenager in any school can buy any weapon he wants for cash, within a couple blocks of his school.

And yes, I am well aware of John Lott's excellent work in showing that the ownership of guns by law-abiding citizens makes the crime rate go DOWN, not UP. I didn't discuss that subject because this is not a "gun control" thread. I try not to hijack threads away from their intended purpose.

John / Billybob