The Washington Post seems to be reporting that D.C. voting rights advocates are optimistic that the gun rights “GOP Amendment” can be stripped from the bill. GOP amendment? Yeah, that’s why it passed with 62 votes.
The House is expected to pass its version of the bill next week without any gun language. The differences between the bills will have to be hashed out in a conference between the chambers.
“That’s why you have conferences. I’m sure there will be an effort to fix this,” said Tom Davis, the former Republican congressman from Virginia who was the original architect of the bill. He said the legislation appeared to have enough support to pass without the gun amendment attached.
Says Majority Leader Steny Hoyer:
Hoyer branded the gun amendment “inappropriate and wrong,” telling the Politics Program on WTOP (103.5 FM): “I hope it won’t be in the final product.”
Seems pretty appropriate to me. If they want representation in the federal government, they have to follow the federal constitution. Apparently Hoyer thinks that’s wrong an inappropriate.
The amendment drew widespread support, he said, because “people don’t want to vote against the National Rifle Association.”
But, he added, if the amendment was dropped, legislators could approve the bill and still get credit for their pro-gun stance in the earlier vote.
“You can have your cake and eat it, too,” he said.
He’s quite likely right about this, but as I pointed out before, the benefit is getting the Senate on record, and demonstrating to President Obama that he’s not going to get a break on this issue. The stars lined up in our favor, and we moved on it.
For example, 26 states, including Maryland and Virginia, have laws requiring safe storage for guns. Virginia, Maryland and California have laws limiting buyers to one handgun purchase a month. A dozen states, including Maryland, require handgun owners to register their weapons with authorities or obtain licenses to possess them.
A dozen states? A half dozen maybe, but I think they need to review state laws on this matter.
Of course the Post is claiming the bill will pass WITHOUT the language restoring second amendment rights to DC residents.
Of course.
That’s because they hate the second amendment.
In journalism, it’s called “pitching the article.”
I love the choices in the poll on the right:
The tradeoff: If most of the District’s gun laws get repealed in the course of gaining a vote in the U.S. House, is it worth it?
* Yes, democratic representation is critical.
24%
* No — what good is a vote if we’re not safe?
18%
* Yes, both measures reinforce my Constitutional rights.
20%
* No — the District doesn’t merit a House vote at all.
31%
* Other (explain in comments).
4%
On the above … 44% are in favor of gun rights, and 31% make a vote that doesn’t show bias in either direction.
18% actually said they don’t want the vote if they also have to accept the ability to own a firearm without the current hoops to jump through. How sad is it that almost 1 out of 5 americans voting on this issue value democracy less than they fear the ability to own firearms (I won’t say firearms violence, because that is abundant in D.C.).
Boggles the mind. I’m glad the founding fathers of this country didn’t feel that way!
Just off the top of my head, states requiring some sort of permit or registration to buy a handgun include: MD, MA, NY, CA, NC, IL, CT (I think, based on the recent story about the kid who got in trouble for daring to suggest that guns might not be evil in a college classroom). That’s seven right there. Might be more (I’m thinking that RI and NJ require something). In almost all of those cases, however, the requirements are far, far less odious than DC. In any case, they are all stupid and play no role in stopping criminals, who require no permit and can acquire guns with ease, even in DC.
Wow, I’m ashamed to admit that I have no idea what Virginia’s safe storage laws are (although I’m sure I satisfy them, whatever they may be). In all my readings of Virginia’s gun laws, I’ve never seen this one.
Unless, of course, the Post is talking out their ass. I’m not betting either way on that one.
Boyd beat me to it. I’m not aware of any safe storage laws in Virginia either, and I read them pretty thoroughly when I got my CHP.
I agree that they must be speaking with the wrong orifice.
The place that needs to be cleaned up and have tougher gun laws is Hollywood/TV. Their usage/abuseage of guns has become the boogeyman used by the Brady camp to scare little kids (and phobic parents)