Repealing all of Washington D.C.'s gun laws

[GOPFighter]

This is outrageous!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A18935-2004Sep13.html

"A majority of the U.S. House of Representatives is supporting legislation that would repeal virtually all of the District's gun restrictions, targeting one of the nation's most stringent handgun bans while the presidential candidates are battling over gun limits."

" Rep. Mark Edward Souder (R-Ind.) said House Republican leaders have promised him a vote before the Nov. 2 election on his proposed D.C. Personal Protection Act, which would end a ban on handguns in the nation's capital; remove a prohibition against semiautomatic weapons; lift registration requirements for ammunition and other firearms; and cancel criminal penalties for possessing unregistered firearms and carrying a handgun in one's home or workplace.

"Souder's bill also would deny the District's elected officials "authority to enact laws or regulations that discourage or eliminate the private ownership or use of firearms." "

Those sons-of-bitches! What about "State's Rights" the GOP is always screaming about??

"...and cancel all criminal penalties for possessing unregistered firearms"!!! I live just outside Washington, DC, and this is really frightening. This legislation means every young thug with a gun can openly walk around armed without punishment, until he shoots someone. This means every other young kid (and their parents, and the elderly) will now have to arm him or herself to protect themselves from the thugs. This means the cops will be helpless to get the guns off the streets!

I encourage everyone to contact their Representative and ask that they attach an amendment to this bill abolishing the U.S. Capitol Police, the law enforcement agency that protects members of Congress and their families. If more guns on the street makes a community safer, then Congressmen and women in DC will no longer need police protection.

Bastards!!! :mad:

[shoelace414]

1. "why don't you enforce the laws we have?"

BECAUSE YOU KEEP REPEALING THEM

:grr:

[slackmaster]

2. What gun control law has ever been repealed?

The AW ban doesn't count because that was a built-in automatic sunset provision.

[Redneck Socialist]

3. Couple of things to keep in mind

This is election year politics. I suspect it is unlikely to pass the senate but the real reason to bring this up now is that, as a wedge issue, it is a great way for the pubs to pump up their base. It also forces the Democrats to cast votes that the pubs can then go out and use to campaign against them. "Those pesky Democrats wanna take away all yer guns don'cha know!"

On edit: a couple of extra letters

[Deb]

4. Is bush breaking local gun laws by

showing off Saddam's souvenir gun in the WH?

[FatSlob]

8. Nope, law doesn't apply to elected officials.

Very elitist. What an awful law. Members of Congress and the Pres. can have whatever they want in D.C., but not the citizen. Repeal it.

[Jack_DeLeon]

5. Nice...

I've always thought it was pretty sad that the people who lived in our nation's capitol had thier rights restricted.

[skippythwndrdog]

6. Take a civics class.

Those sons-of-bitches! What about "State's Rights" the GOP is always screaming about??

D.C. is not now, nor has it ever been a state. It was setaside expressly to be the place of domicile for our seat of Federal government. IT is now and has been since its inception a protectorate controlled by the Congress of the United States.

Insofar as the proposed repeal is concerned: that would be a good thing. Freedoms restored is always a good thing regardless of the proponent(s).

[GOPFighter]

12. Duh!

You think I don't know DC is not technically a state? "States Rights" isn't about states per se, it's about the federal government imposing it's will over the desires of the local population. The residents of DC passed these gun laws and now the GOP wants the federal government to overturn the will of the people. The GOP is so damn hypocritical...!

[skippythwndrdog]

14. The people of D.C. cannot pass laws without Congressional approval

Congress passed the current ban. Try agan.

[Township75]

7. THIS IS AWESOME!!!!

Not only to the people of DC get their right to own a handgun restored (and they don't need to own one if they choose not to), but the politicians who vote for this get to work in the environment they created.

It would be great if this passes. As of now, no one in DC can own a handgun, but the politicians that support this have armed guards where they work, yet the residents of DC do not. At least now the residents can own handguns for protection, just like the guards of the politicians have.

[FatSlob]

9. Fantastic. I hope the Citizens of the District get their freedoms back.

WhoooHoooooo! Hopefully this will even up the odds between the thugs and the decent citizens.

[-..__...]

10. The gun-snatchers at Brady/VPC/MMM must be scurrying like scared rats.

First the AWB is hsitory, and now this.

[FatSlob]

11. The Brady/MMM/VPC/AGSers are sad little people.

They have devoted their lives to eliminating Freedoms. How can they live with themselves? "Hi, I'm Josh Sugarman, I want to take away your freedom to own a gun and defend your life." How can they? It just doesn't make sense.

[GOPFighter]

13. The decent citizens passed the gun control laws!

THEY are the ones who wanted the law passed, but of course what do they know? They're just poor, mis-guided, mostly low income minority citizens so it's easy to understand why the NRA and the GOP feel they know what's best for them.

Of course, these "decent citizens" will now have to sacrifice their proscription drugs or an occasional night out at a restaurant for half a year to buy a gun, and then they will need to shell out for firearm classes.

Yeah, you gun zealots are soooo smart!

[Jack_DeLeon]

15. huh?

actually didnt congress pass those restrictive laws, not the citizens.

[skippythwndrdog]

17. "The decent citizens passed the gun control laws!"

You're absolutely correct if you're referring to Congress. It's that peksy little thing about Congress governing D.C.

[skippythwndrdog]

18. GOPFighter. Love the nick.

Just be sure you're armed before entering the ring.

In other words, know whereof you speak. Congress placed the current firearms restrictions on D.C. It's up to Congress to remove them.

[Romulus]

16. any idea which bill this is?

I could only find H.R.1393: DC Personal Protection Act, dated 9/2003.

http://thomas.loc.gov/

Full text below:

District of Columbia Personal Protection Act (Introduced in House)

HR 3193 IH


108th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 3193
To restore second amendment rights in the District of Columbia.


IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 25, 2003
Mr. SOUDER (for himself, Mr. ROSS, Mr. DEMINT, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. STENHOLM, Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. GOODE, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. BERRY, Mr. JOHNSON of Illinois, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. CANNON, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. JOHN, Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia, Mr. PLATTS, Mr. REYES, Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky, Mr. PUTNAM, Mr. MATHESON, Mr. PAUL, Mr. HALL, Mr. MICHAUD, Mr. ORTIZ, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. MICA, Mr. DEAL of Georgia, Mr. ISTOOK, Mr. NEY, Mr. GOODLATTE, Mr. SCHROCK, Mr. PORTER, Mr. HENSARLING, Mr. CARTER, Mr. SANDLIN, Mr. BRADY of Texas, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. REHBERG, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mr. VITTER, Mr. EVERETT, Mr. SULLIVAN, Mrs. MILLER of Michigan, Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Mr. CARSON of Oklahoma, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. TURNER of Texas, Mr. DAVIS of Tennessee, Mr. OTTER, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr. BARTON of Texas, Mr. GINGREY, Mrs. CUBIN, Mr. BACHUS, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. JANKLOW, Mr. BOUCHER, Mr. MARSHALL, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, and Mr. TOOMEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


A BILL
To restore second amendment rights in the District of Columbia.


Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `District of Columbia Personal Protection Act'.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:

(1) The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

(2) The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects the rights of individuals, including those who are not members of a militia or engaged in military service or training, to keep and bear arms.

(3) The law-abiding citizens of the District of Columbia are deprived by local laws of handguns, rifles, and shotguns that are commonly kept by law-abiding persons throughout the rest of the United States for sporting use and for lawful defense of persons, homes, and families.

(4) The District of Columbia has the highest per capita murder rate in the Nation, which may be attributed in part to local laws prohibiting possession of firearms by law-abiding persons who would otherwise be able to defend themselves and their loved ones in their own homes and businesses.

(5) The Federal Gun Control Act of 1968, as amended by the Firearms Owners' Protection Act of 1986, and the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993, provide comprehensive Federal regulations applicable in the District of Columbia as elsewhere. In addition, existing District of Columbia criminal laws punish possession and illegal use of firearms by violent criminals and felons. Consequently, there is no need for local laws which only disarm law-abiding citizens.

(6) Legislation is required to correct the District of Columbia's law in order to restore the rights of its citizens under the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and thereby enhance public safety.

SEC. 3. REFORM D.C. COUNCIL'S AUTHORITY TO RESTRICT FIREARMS.

Section 4 of the Act entitled `An Act to prohibit the killing of wild birds and wild animals in the District of Columbia', approved June 30, 1906 (34 Stat. 809; sec. 1-303.43, D.C. Official Code) is amended by adding at the end the following: `This section shall not be construed to permit the Council, the Mayor, or any governmental or regulatory authority of the District of Columbia to prohibit, constructively prohibit, or unduly burden the ability of persons otherwise permitted to possess firearms under Federal law from acquiring, possessing in their homes or businesses, or using for sporting, self-protection or other lawful purposes, any firearm neither prohibited by Federal law nor regulated by the National Firearms Act. The District of Columbia shall not have authority to enact laws or regulations that discourage or eliminate the private ownership or use of firearms.'.

SEC. 4. REPEAL D.C. SEMIAUTOMATIC BAN.

Section 101(10) of the Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975 (sec. 7-2501.01(10), D.C. Official Code) is amended to read as follows:

`(10) Machine gun means any firearm which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily converted or restored to shoot automatically, more than 1 shot by a single function of the trigger.'.

SEC. 5. REPEAL REGISTRATION REQUIREMENT.

(a) IN GENERAL- Section 201(a) of the Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975 (sec. 7-2502.01(a), D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking `any firearm, unless' and all that follows through paragraph (3) and inserting the following: `any firearm described in subsection (c).'.

(b) DESCRIPTION OF FIREARMS REMAINING ILLEGAL- Section 201 of such Act (sec. 7-2502.01, D.C. Official Code) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

`(c) A firearm described in this subsection is any of the following:

`(1) A sawed-off shotgun.

`(2) A machine gun.

`(3) A short-barreled rifle.'.

SEC. 6. REPEAL HANDGUN AMMUNITION BAN.

Section 601 of the Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975 (sec. 7-2506.01, D.C. Official Code) is repealed.

SEC. 7. RESTORE RIGHT OF SELF DEFENSE IN THE HOME.

Section 702 of the Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975 (sec. 7-2507.02, D.C. Official Code) is repealed.

SEC. 8. ADDITIONAL REPEALS.

Sections 202 through 211 of the Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975 (secs. 7-2502.02 through 7-2502.11, D.C. Official Code) are repealed.

SEC. 9. REMOVE CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR POSSESSION OF UNREGISTERED FIREARMS.

(a) IN GENERAL- Section 706 of the Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975 (sec. 7-2507.06, D.C. Official Code) is amended--

(1) by striking `that:' and all that follows through `(1) A' and inserting `that a'; and

(2) by striking paragraph (2).

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE- The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to violations occurring after the 60-day period which begins on the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 10. REMOVE CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR CARRYING A PISTOL IN ONE'S DWELLING OR OTHER PREMISES.

(a) IN GENERAL- Section 4(a) of the Act of July 8, 1932 (47 Stat. 651; sec. 22-4504(a), D.C. Official Code) is amended--

(1) in the matter before paragraph (1), by inserting `, except in his dwelling house or place of business or on other land possessed by that person, whether loaded or unloaded,' before `a pistol'; and

(2) by striking `except that:' and all that follows through `(2) If the violation' and inserting `except that if the violation'.

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE- The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to violations occurring after the 60-day period which begins on the date of the enactment of this Act.

*end text*

I don't think anyone in DC would be able to openly carry a loaded firearm around without Chief Ramsey's blessing (AKA "special police" commission).

As far as I can see, the DC thugs already have guns, and don't hesitate to use them against unarmed people. Any there are plenty of otherwise law-abiding people who have firearms because those thugs ARE already armed.

[JeremyN]

19. I hope this passes

Homicide rates in DC are astronomical, and have been ever since they instituted this gun ban. You can make the argument that these facts aren't necessarily related, but it's pretty darn obvious that the ban hasn't done anything good for the district. People there need to be free to protect themselves.

[skippythwndrdog]

20. Look at some of the highest murder rates in the nation

and you'll find that they are almost exclusively the property of those cities (and states) that have the most restrictive gun control laws.

Chicago
D.C.
New York
Boston
etc.

[JeremyN]

21. Indeed, I've referenced this fact in other places n/t

[Romulus]

22. don't know about Boston

but I could be wrong.

MA seems to always have a really low firearms-incident rate.

This is even though MA is surrounded by states with less-stringent firearms laws, which "popular wisdom" blames for increased firearms incidents in neighboring jurisdictions (like the argument that "blames" VA for DC crime, and the US for CAN's problems, etc.).

[skippythwndrdog]

24. Machetes seem to be the new weapon of choice in Boston.

There was a recent thread about it here in the Gungeon.

[MrBenchley]

23. Always instructive to see

our "pro gun democrats" cheerleading for GOP legislative proposals...

And of course, Souder is one of the biggest fucking idiots in the House...bigoted, anti-environment, anti-workers rights, etc. etc.