Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Really? DEMOCRATS Authored this Legislation?

Really? DEMOCRATS Authored this Legislation?

The NRA puts out a press release about an amendment to H.R. 6842 that:
...will overturn the District of Columbia's gun control restrictions that defy the recent Supreme Court ruling by continuing to limit D.C. residents' right to self-defense.

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The Second Amendment Enforcement Act will:

· Repeal the District's ban on semi-automatic handguns. Semi-automatic pistols have been the most commonly purchased firearms in the United States over the last 20 years, and therefore a ban on those firearms is unconstitutional as decided by Heller;

· Restore the right of self-defense by repealing the requirement that firearms be disassembled or secured with a trigger lock in the home;

· Reform the current D.C. registration system that requires multiple visits to police headquarters; ballistics testing; passing a written test on D.C. gun laws; fingerprinting; and limiting registration to one handgun per 90 days. The current system is unduly burdensome and serves as a vehicle for even more onerous restrictions; and

· Create a limited exemption to the federal ban on interstate handgun sales by allowing D.C. residents to purchase handguns in Virginia and Maryland. Currently there is only one licensed firearm dealer in the District, and the District government is standing in the way of additional dealers opening their doors. A 40-year old federal law prohibits residents from purchasing handguns outside of the District.
SayUncle reports that it was a Democrat led bill, and the AP says:
Many of those speaking for the bill in debate that went well into the night Tuesday were conservative Democrats from rural districts that strongly support gun rights. Eighty-five Democrats voted for the bill.

"Number one, I'm a pro-gun Democrat," said Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark. "Number 2, if the government of the District of Columbia can take your guns away from you in our nation's capital, Prescott, Arkansas, and many other small towns across the country could be next."

The legislation is unlikely to be taken up in the Senate in the few remaining weeks of this session, but it served both to give lawmakers a pro-gun vote shortly before the election and demonstrate the continuing political clout of the NRA.

The bill, sponsored by Mississippi freshman Democrat Travis Childers, repeals the District's semiautomatic handgun ban and overturns D.C. law requiring that firearms kept in the home be locked up and inoperable. It allows D.C. residents to purchase guns from federally licensed dealers in Maryland and Virginia and repeals what critics claimed were burdensome registration requirements.
Aside from the good work the NRA does to protect and enhance shooting ranges, this is another reason I've been a member of the NRA since 1995.

Good work!

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