26 June 2008

What's Next?

The Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence (formerly Handgun Control Inc.) finally has its official statement here regarding the opinion, which I am sure they are privately agreeing is disastrous for their already thin arguments. The Violence Policy Center's Josh Sugarmann has issued a statement through the gun control enablers at the Huffington Post. While Brady's Paul Helmke and Sugarmann are not happy, they are still in denial.

And in District of Columbia, officials there say they are dismayed. But interestingly, are already the police and other to come up with a plan where law-abiding citizens, in an orderly fashion, can "register" their handguns in the district. Sigh . . . registration.

Sebastian at Snowflakes in Hell has a suggestion for something that will help Sarah Brady, Helmke and Sugarmann take the edge off their distress -- tequila!

Sebastian also notes something else. A full four of the justices were perfectly willing to throw one of the 10 amendments -- the one amendment that protects the other nine -- to the United States Bill of Rights under the bus. Do you understand that? Because they don't like guns, and the result of this ruling, they were perfectly willing to sacrifice every American's birthright.

Accordingly, this is no time to become complacent. Much like we saw when George W. Bush was elected president, NRA membership dropped off around the nation because law-abiding gun owners and Second Amendment supporters, alike, felt the threat that had been the anti-gun wing of Congress and the anti-gun Clinton-Reno administration was behind us. Similarly, four-plus years ago we passed concealed carry legislation in Ohio and many dropped out of pro-gun groups feeling that the work was done and all would be good.

At both the national and state level, the anti-gun, anti-self-defense, anti-safety crowd are not willing to back down. They are funded by deep-pocketed foundations, like the Joyce Foundation, among others. This ruling will not see them backing off their stance. In fact, they will likely start pushing for legislation in cities and states to further regulate guns, now that the Supreme Court has said it is okay (to some degree). That will mean more than a decade of legal tests.

Accordingly, people who believe a mother or grandmother should not have their right to protect their children or grandchildren with the tool of choice, must start supporting legislative and legal initiatives to use the Heller decision and overturn gun bans similar to that which existed until today in Washington DC.

Starting with Chicago . . .(guess what, the suit was filed 15 minutes after the Heller decision was handed down).

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