Back from D.C.

[nedmoore]

I had to spend a few days in Washington D.C. without my firearm. It feels so good to be back in Texas and carrying again! I was a little worried going all over that town in the subways, walking etc. Good to be home!

By the way, I had the honor of watching the changing of the guards at the tomb of the unknown soldier, what a moving experience. Also while we were at Arlington National Cemetery a funeral procession passed by us with a horse drawn carriage carrying a soldier to his final resting place. I stood up on the tour tram when the casket approached an then everyone else on out tram followed my lead. I think it meant a lot to the family processing behind. The people on the tram car in front of us just sat there. I can not understand why they did not stand up. Oh well, sign of the times I guess.

[HerbM]

Washington DC used to be a GREAT CITY -- I almost grew up there, visiting for most summers and many Christmases and moving to the area for high school.

Our nation's capital should be the FINEST CITY ON EARTH -- the safest and the most free.

Instead it is an embarrassment and a danger to both visitors and the people who live there -- especially dangerous those who aren't rich and/or white.

And then they disarmed them too. Shameful.

[Paladin]

Just got back from DC myself. I know what ya'll mean

[DoubleJ]

Welcome back and glad you made it with the same number of holes you left with!

[baseballguy2001]

The supreme court decision on the DC gun ban will arrive tomorrow or Thursday. I listened again to the oral arguments over this past weekend and I really think we are in for some good news. My guess is it will be either 6-3 or 7-2 against the ban. Any other guesses? Oh! and welcome back guys.

[HerbM]

The supreme court decision on the DC gun ban will arrive tomorrow or Thursday. I listened again to the oral arguments over this past weekend and I really think we are in for some good news. My guess is it will be either 6-3 or 7-2 against the ban. Any other guesses?

It will almost certainly be affirmed (for Mr. Heller against the DC gun ban) as an individual right. I predicted 7-2 long before cert was granted, when people were saying how seldom that cert is even granted. 7-2 with an outside change aat 9-0 if the decision is very limited.

Best guess is Scalia is writing it.

Remember, this is only about overturning a BAN, and in DC which is not a state. All good, but this is only the first step on what will require several more to fix the worst problems IF this all works.

[Pinkycatcher]

The supreme court decision on the DC gun ban will arrive tomorrow or Thursday. I listened again to the oral arguments over this past weekend and I really think we are in for some good news. My guess is it will be either 6-3 or 7-2 against the ban. Any other guesses?

It will almost certainly be affirmed (for Mr. Heller against the DC gun ban) as an individual right. I predicted 7-2 long before cert was granted, when people were saying how seldom that cert is even granted. 7-2 with an outside change aat 9-0 if the decision is very limited.

Best guess is Scalia is writing it.

Remember, this is only about overturning a BAN, and in DC which is not a state. All good, but this is only the first step on what will require several more to fix the worst problems IF this all works.

And don't forget the actual ruling is minimal compared to the opinion they give out, it can either be very narrow, or very broad which would be good, but not likely. I'm guessing an upholding or individual right, and probably allowing of self-defense weapons to be in each persons house (that's my conservative guess)

My extremely hopeful very liberal guess would be everything short of bazooka's and bombs to be allowed and no liscensing of any weapons.

[HerbM]

No Heller on Wed.

[thejtrain]

It will almost certainly be affirmed (for Mr. Heller against the DC gun ban) as an individual right. I predicted 7-2 long before cert was granted, when people were saying how seldom that cert is even granted. 7-2 with an outside change at 9-0 if the decision is very limited.

Personally I'd rather have a 5-4 decision (which carries the same strength of law as a 9-0, but IANAL) if it means the language can be stronger and less "limited".

The smart folks are saying that Scalia's writing it because he's the only one left who hasn't written a decision from the March session, when Heller was argued (and they typically do one-each for every month's session). Other smart folks are saying that since Scalia's writing it, it's more likely to be a closer decision because he tends to write in stronger terms that tends to lose votes, as opposed to Roberts, who'd be more accommodating, which would in turn lead to a larger majority. I'll see if I can find a link to what I read on that.

[Pinkycatcher]

It will almost certainly be affirmed (for Mr. Heller against the DC gun ban) as an individual right. I predicted 7-2 long before cert was granted, when people were saying how seldom that cert is even granted. 7-2 with an outside change at 9-0 if the decision is very limited.

Personally I'd rather have a 5-4 decision (which carries the same strength of law as a 9-0, but IANAL) if it means the language can be stronger and less "limited".

The smart folks are saying that Scalia's writing it because he's the only one left who hasn't written a decision from the March session, when Heller was argued (and they typically do one-each for every month's session). Other smart folks are saying that since Scalia's writing it, it's more likely to be a closer decision because he tends to write in stronger terms that tends to lose votes, as opposed to Roberts, who'd be more accommodating, which would in turn lead to a larger majority. I'll see if I can find a link to what I read on that.

I personally would like for it to be a 6-3 decision, because that gives the feeling of just being stomped, it really is demoralizing to the opposition, and they can't offer any "it was so close, by a hair" excuses, it really shows them that it was a justified decision. Obviously I would love a very broad ruling, but I would give up a broad ruling for a slightly less broad and a 6-3 decision, past that, a 7-2 would be nice, but if we gave up too much ground it wouldn't be worth it in my opinion.

Although a very broad 5-4 would be amazing, but that would (in my opinion) be everything short of bombs and bazookas, but IANAL, just pre-law.

[HerbM]

We'll know by tomorrow at 9 AM Central but I stillhave some faith, maybe hope is a better word, in Justice Ginsberg.

She knows it is an individual right and even realizes that the militia phrase protects light machine guns. She might not vote according to this knowledge but if she ignores an enumerated right she will never again be able to claim that a right to abortion (no matter your own opinion here) which is never mentioned in the Constitution can be derived from ANOTHER unenumerated right, that of privacy.

Remember, we have the right to own and carry firearms completely separate from the 2nd Amendment, even if the Justices don't understand this.

The Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Rights are NOT create by the Constitution, but rather protected by it.

Same is true for privacy or AT LEAST any other right agreed upon by the vast majority of people and states.

44 States have an explicit RKBA provision -- 45 if you count the CA statute and the fact that CA law explicitly defers to the US Constitution. (Note this is different than the Feds overriding CA; CA itself says that the US Constitition is the supreme law of CA.)

IIRC this is more than have explicit freedom of the press or religion.