DC folks lose a battle!

[AlabamaSwamper]

WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Wednesday upheld the District of Columbia's gun control law that prohibits ownership of handguns, rejecting a legal challenge by a group of citizens backed by the National Rifle Association (search).



U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton dismissed the lawsuit in which the plaintiffs argued that the 28-year-old law violated their Second Amendment (search) right to own guns. The D.C. law prohibits ownership or possession of handguns and requires that others, such as shotguns, be kept unloaded, disassembled or equipped with trigger locks.

Walton ruled that the Second Amendment is not a broad-based right of gun ownership.

"The Second Amendment does not confer an individual a right to possess firearms. Rather, the Amendment's objective is to ensure the vitality of state militias," Walton wrote.

He went on to say that the amendment was designed to protect the citizens against a potentially oppressive federal government.

He also ruled that the Second Amendment does not apply to the district because it was intended to protect state citizens, and the district is not a state.

A gun control advocate welcomed the ruling.

"It's a big victory for those who overwhelmingly believe that we need fewer guns on our streets, not more," said Matt Nosanchuk, a spokesman for the Violence Policy Center (search).

Andrew Arulanandam, an NRA spokesman, said the group's lawyers had not seen the ruling on Wednesday night but noted that other courts have taken the opposite opinion.

[The_Natural]

well i am a criminal justice major in college you dont have to worry.... The NRA is smart enough to appeal the courts rule and seek the state supreme courts and probabley the u.s supreme court...As citizens we have the right to challege our government and it laws through the balance of powers....if we dont like what the government is doing we can make them listen it states in the u.s constitution that we have the right to challenge the authoriy and change our government democracy...the government can pass all the laws they want they cannot take the amendments away....

[AlabamaSwamper]

I agree and if things don't change we may need another war to change them sad to say. One day, it will happen. I just hope it ain't my generation that has to do it. History tells us that we will have to deal with it like all great powers have and being a former history major, I've read way to much for my own good.