Do you think NJ, NY, Chicago and other jurisdictions should be able to infringe on the right to bear arms as they see fit? If the first 10 amendments apply only to the federal government they can.
That’s a pretty simple question. I agree it is possible I could be misunderstanding you.
I have read post 38 and if I understand him Bork agrees with me. States can put pretty much whatever gun laws in effect they choose.
Yes, the first ten amendments are pointed at the feds, not at the states. So, yes, theoretically the states can do what they want but there’s no such thing as a “state” per se, only the majority of the population of that state to decide the laws of that state either through their state representatives or directly through initiatives.
And if you look at history and the “parade of horribles” I listed, you’ll see that the problem is almost never that the majority of the populace of the each state have perpetrated some horror on the state. The states are the ones with the anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage laws and pro-gun rights laws. The problem is almost never the states but the feds unconstitutionally restricting the states.
People need to get real clear about who the bad guys are. Our Founders knew and history speaks very plainly: the feds, not the states, are the greatest threat to our rights and freedoms.