Posted on 06/27/2008 5:09:33 AM PDT by Zakeet
Thirty-thousand Americans are killed by guns every year — on the job, walking to school, at the shopping mall. The Supreme Court on Thursday all but ensured that even more Americans will die senselessly with its wrongheaded and dangerous ruling striking down key parts of the District of Columbia’s gun-control law.
In a radical break from 70 years of Supreme Court precedent, Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the majority, declared that the Second Amendment guarantees individuals the right to bear arms for nonmilitary uses, even though the amendment clearly links the right to service in a “militia.” The ruling will give gun-rights advocates a powerful new legal tool to try to strike down gun-control laws across the nation.
This is a decision that will cost innocent lives, cause immeasurable pain and suffering and turn America into a more dangerous country. It will also diminish our standing in the world, sending yet another message that the United States values gun rights over human life.
There already is a national glut of firearms: estimates run between 193 million and 250 million guns. The harm they do is constantly on heartbreaking display. Thirty-three dead last year in the shootings at Virginia Tech. Six killed this year at Northern Illinois University.
On Wednesday, as the court was getting ready to release its decision, a worker in a Kentucky plastics plant shot his supervisor, four co-workers and himself to death.
Cities and states have tried to stanch the killing with gun-control laws. The District of Columbia, which has one of the nation’s highest crime rates, banned the possession of nearly all handguns and required that other firearms be stored unloaded and disassembled, or bound with a trigger lock.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
In 2005, of all children 1 to 4 years old who died, almost 30% died from drowning.
When are we going to ban swimming pools?
“I wonder where the figure 30,000 per year killed by guns comes from.”
It comes from every firearms related death, including suicides and justifiable homicide.
On Obama in particular (From Robert Novak’s piece earlier this year, “Obama’s Gun Dance”):
“Obama’s dance on gun rights is part of his evolution from a radical young state legislator a few years ago. He was recorded in a 1996 questionnaire as advocating a ban on the manufacture, sale and possession of handguns (a position since disavowed). He was on the board of the Chicago-based Joyce Foundation, which takes an aggressive gun control position, and in 2000 considered becoming its full-time president. In 2006, he voted with an 84 to 16 majority (and against Clinton) to prohibit confiscation of firearms during an emergency, but that is his only pro-gun vote in Springfield or Washington. The National Rifle Association (NRA) grades him (and Clinton) at ‘F.’”
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/04/obamas_gun_dance.html
The 2nd Amendment is not about service in a militia. The 2nd Amendment is about the conditions that must exist for a militia to be possible, and that PRE-condition is a population of individuals who are already armed. Sort of hard to conceive a well regulated militia with individuals with Yo-Yos and Frisbees.
Right after we rid ourselves of 5-gallon buckets, the “gateway drowner.”
“However, one never knows what will happen to the Supremes. One might die in office, or become mentally impaired(stroke), or a conservative one might resign unexpectedly.”
Pelican Brief stuff. Possible, though.
Their 30,000 number is basically correct. What they fail to mention is that on average 55% of those deaths are suicides. They leave that part out in order to give the impression that we live in the Wild West.
Souter has expressed in interviews that he has no intention of dying in office - he wants to retire and do some writing.
John Paul Stevens is 88, but relatively healthy and has indicated that they will have to carry his body out of the courtroom. He won't admit it out loud, but he is gunning for two records. If he lives to 91 in office he will be the oldest justice to ever serve, and if he lives to 92 in office he will have served longer than any justice in history.
“Thirty-thousand Americans are killed by guns every year”
Contrasted with the 1.3 million babies aborted every year.
Yet that’s quite alright with the NYT.
“and turn America into a more dangerous country”
You can’t make this stuff up. You just can’t.
With all the guns available in the world, making or supporting some kind of law regarding owning guns is patently absurd. People who want to rob or kill you are already wanting to do something illegal. Having a gun along to do it is just a method.
That’s but one among the many reasons we haven’t had a copy of this traitorous rag in our home for at least the past decade.The occasional free issues they drop in the driveway, go right into the trash where they belong.
Threaten to have them arrested/fined for “littering” your private property.
Individuals bearing arms- could become a “militia” very quickly- right?
Isn’t that what happened in Katrina-ravaged New Orleans before the 82d Airborne arrived to put down the armed looters and punks?
And many of the remainder are criminals killing other criminals. Justifiable homicides are also included in the number. And also deranged people killing their estranged spouses, because the latter couldn’t get a gun due to gun control laws (which the 30,000/year statistic is designed to support) are also included in the total.
Exactly right, Suicides followed by drug and gang related homicides.
Obama also appears to have opposed a bill while in the Illinois state senate that would have protected homeowners who use a handgun for self-defense in an area such as Chicago where handguns are banned.
That a knockout punch on the issue, IMO, as its at the very heart of what gun rights are all about. I know *why* he voted that way, but it definitely looks BAD.
Yep folks guns are just walking up and down streets shooting people at random its crazy.
I still don’t have a good answer as to why “intellectuals” are against Liberty.
If anyone out their could tell me what prize is worth voting yourself into slavery, I’m listening.
E01
Too bad we have a first amendment. Otherwise we could shut down the NYSlimes for inferior editorials.
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