Reply #266: Well, my beloved hometown (DC) doesn't actually "ban" handguns

[Recursion]

Anyone with a permit can keep a handgun in his or her home, and can transport it from that home to some place outside of the city to fire it.

However, no new permits have been issued since I believe 1976 and the city has made clear it will issue no more barring a changed political directive.

DC residents may keep rifles and shotguns in their home (subject to certain storage regulations, IIRC) with a permit, and DC has been willing to issue permits for these, although it is hardly a given.

Now, this is a tough issue for me, as a long-time DC resident.

On the one hand, I very much believe in the right of citizens to keep and bear arms. On the other hand, I very much believe in DC home rule. There have been previous Congressional attempts to overturn the DC handgun "ban" that I have opposed on the principle that Congress should not violate the principles of DC home rule. However, the courts are exactly the avenue for addressing the unconstitutional restrictions of liberty I'm subjected to living here, so I've got no problem with this ruling as such, though I'm worried about what Congress might do to it (Waxman, in particular, by stalling the DC Voting Rights bill is worrying me).

There have been 5 shootings in my neighborhood in the past year. I (along with about 200 other people) was held up at gunpoint a few months ago. Legal restrictions on handgun ownership aren't preventing handguns. It's time to respect our rights as citizens, and find a better way.