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Washington D.C. Gun Ban Overturned by Supreme Court

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:23:06 -0500

The Supreme Court overturned a 32 year-old law banning the sale of guns in Washington D.C. today. In a 5-4 decision, the Courts ruled that a complete ban on the sale of guns, which had been the law in the District of Columbia since 1976, infringes upon Second Ammendment rights.

The case, District of Columbia v. Heller, is the first Supreme Court case to interpret the second ammendment in 70 years. In his 64-page opinion, Justice Antonin Scalia said that "a complete prohibition of [handguns]'s use is invalid." Scalia wrote that states do have the right to regulate the selling of firearms, but completely banning it is unconstitutional.

District of Columbia officials will need to establish new laws regarding the selling of firearms before any will be sold. The ability to own a gun will not be absolute, Scalia said, and he hopes that the District will establish laws to ensure a safe and legal system.

In his dissenting opinion, Justice John Paul Stevens wrote that the Second Ammendment "does not curtail the Legislature's power to regulate the nonmilitary use and ownership of weapons." Today's decision made clear that it indeed does. Now Washington D.C., a city with one of the highest crime rates in America, hopes that it will make its streets safer, not more dangerous as some oppoents fear.

Supreme Court's Decision Is Irrelevant

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:59:29 -0500

Dobbs Ferry, New York

The Supreme Court is currently hearing arguments about the meaning of the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution.

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

Does it mean that an individual can only bear arms in the context of a well regulated militia or does it mean that individual has a general right to bear firearms? Frankly, I don’t care which interpretation is correct. The ‘well regulated militia’ interpretation is an invitation for civil war. The National Rifle Association’s interpretation -- that man has an inalienable right given to him by his creator to own and carry a gun -- is an invitation for senseless violence.

Instead, it is time to repeal the Second Amendment in order to remove the power to decide this live-and-death issue from unelected judges. It is time for the Federal, State, County and Municipal legislatures to decide the issue. The Feds can determine the interstate commerce laws governing guns. The States, Counties and Municipalities can decide how they want to regulate firearms within their jurisdictions.

Only by repealing the Second Amendment does the United States of America have a chance of returning the power to decide this issue from the courts to the elected officials of the people.

Petition Form

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 16:08:50 -0600

PETITION

We, the undersigned, support the repeal of the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution, that reads

“"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

We exhort our elected officials to implement the procedures for amending the United States Constitution as specified in Article V, "The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress."

NAME	ADDRESS	CITY	STATE	SIGNATURE

DATE: Return to: Repeal the Second Amendment, 20 Cricket Lane, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522

Repeal the Second Amendment (2)

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 13:45:54 -0600

Dobbs Ferry, February 17, 2008, President's Day

Another senseless act of gun violence torn out the heart of America last week. A lone gunman opened fire at Northern Illinois University and killed five innocent students, wounding 7 others. It is reported that the gunman didn't know any of the deceased or wounded and was not settling a grudge. The gunman apparently had stopped taking his medication and started acting eratically. In the view of this author, the gunman's name and ethicity are irrelevant and should not be reported by the media lest copycats think that similar acts will gain them notoriety.

Northern Illinois University is another example of how individuals do not have an inalieinable right given to them by their creator to bear arms.

There are two ways to amendment the US Constitution and repeal the Second Amendment:.

To quote the entry in wikipedia, "Article Five describes the process necessary to amend the Constitution. It establishes two methods of proposing amendments: by Congress or by a national convention requested by the states. Under the first method, Congress can propose an amendment by a two-thirds vote (of a quorum, not necessarily of the entire body) of the Senate and of the House of Representatives. Under the second method, two-thirds (2/3) of the state legislatures may convene and "apply" to Congress to hold a national convention, whereupon Congress must call such a convention for the purpose of considering amendments. As of 2008, only the first method (proposal by Congress) has been used.

Once proposed—whether submitted by Congress or by a national convention—amendments must then be ratified by three-fourths (3/4) of the states to take effect. Article Five gives Congress the option of requiring ratification by state legislatures or by special conventions assembled in the states. The convention method of ratification has been used only once (to approve the 21st Amendment). Article Five currently places only one limitation on the amending power—that no amendment can deprive a state of its equal representation in the Senate without that state's consent (limitations regarding slavery and taxation having expired in 1808).

So write, email, shout at and petition your Senators, your Congress person, your Governor, your State Senator and your State Assemby person and tell them that there is a new litmus test. Either publically support the repeal of the Second Amendment or lose my vote.

Here is a list of representatives for my home town, Dobbs Ferry, Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator Charles Schumer, Representative Nina Lowey; Governor Eliot Spritzer State Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins and State Assemblyman Richard Brodsky.

Repeal the Second Amendment

Sat, 09 Feb 2008 06:44:40 -0600

Dobbs Ferry, New York

We had another bloody week in America, filled with senseless gun violence. It is time for local government to stand up and say, "enough is enough". The Federal Government has clearly been co-opted by gun interests. The military does not dare challenge its gun-toting veterans, though it clearly understands the risk of guns in the hands of traumized and well-trained killers..

The Supreme Court is just about to re-write history and declare the Second Amendment as an individual's right to bear arms, instead of what it really was intended to be, an institutionalized mechanism for armed rebellion to protect States rights -- and set the stage for civil war -- gee thanks, Thomas Jefferson.

The only solution to this problem is a grassroots movement. It is time for local governments and officials to stand up and go on the record that they support the repeal of the Second Amendment. It is time for the voters to apply a new litmus test; either support the repeal of the Second Amendment publicly and vocally at all levels of government or you will not get my vote.

While the good citizens of Dobbs Ferry debate the ban on leafblowers, the real issue facing America goes unattended. It broke my heart to read in The Rivertowns Enterprise once again about the shooting of Charles Campbell in 1996, two blocks from my home, and how that gun-related violence has ruined the lives of two local families.