DC v. Heller – The verdict is finally out – DC residents now have The Supreme right to protect and defend themselves and DC government just got a major reality check
Well, the US Supreme court has just announced its ruling on the District’s sweeping laws on gun control – UNCONSTITUTIONAL. And I have to agree.
The court held today “The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home.” In writing this opinion, The Court has upheld, as a basic freedom, the right for DC residence to keep and carry handguns, in a lawful manner, in their homes for protection and recreation. DC, welcome to the real world the rest of us have been enjoying for a long time.
For a long time antiselfdefense advocates have held that only a militia (redefined recently by them to mean Army) should be the only ones in DC to be able to have handguns. In the ruling, The Court held that “The “militia” comprised all males physically capable of acting in concert for the common defense. The Antifederalists feared that the Federal Government would disarm the people in order to disable this citizens’ militia, enabling a politicized standing army or a select militia to rule. The response was to deny Congress power to abridge the ancient right of individuals to keep and bear arms, so that the ideal of a citizens’ militia would be preserved.” Reason prevails, once again.
Clearly, The Court realized that when the wording about needing a militia was put into the colonial and recent post revolutionary constitution it was that the “militia” of that time were truly “minutemen” in a sense that extends past that traditionally used in the context of Lexington and Concord. These were farmers, blacksmiths, inn keepers, cooks, businessmen, etc.; what we could classify today as normal working folks, who, when called to their militia services, generally brought their own arms, if they had them, to use in the service of defending their freedom, their country and their sacred honor. Had they not had their own private weapons to defend their family, property, sacred honor, etc., chances are there would never have been the “shot heard ‘round the world” and we’d be drinking tea and paying our taxes in Sterling…not to mention, singing ‘God save the Queen’ before the first pitches at ballgames! And, in this ruling, The Court continues extending the right for citizens to have the rights and means to defend their country.
This is not to say that DC doesn’t have issues it needs to resolve, but here again, The Court has shown DC that placing guns as the issue is not the solution. People are what needs to be dealt with. And people make choices, generally good ones, but sometimes not.
DC now has the opportunity to look beyond the politically expedient and proven to not work attempts of gun control as a means of legislating tranquility, and now starting teaching people to get along with their fellow man by other means that actually work. After all, back in the days of the old militias, people worked together for the common good. I think they can still.
I’m Don Rima and that’s the way I see it, From Where I Stand.
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