Tweet
So I noticed this thread, which is about the lack of a decision in the Palmer case.
I lived in the District myself for a few years and just recently moved back to California. While I realize that this case is important for the potential impact it may have on future cases in California and elsewhere, the right to carry is barely the tip of the iceberg.
Although carrying ("bearing") arms is an important right, if I were still living in the District, I would have much rather seen a suit against the many obstacles in place for people trying to obtain a firearm in the District to begin with. If you look closely, it is very clear that these regulations are designed to keep DC's poor- and there are plenty of them-from exercising their rights. They require excessive fees and a car, both of which are far out of reach for many of DC's residents.
Here's a few of those obstacles:
-Unless you are one of the few Americans who has military experience, you are required to take a "Firearms Safety Course" that costs about $120.
Note: even if you are purchasing a shotgun or rifle, you are still required to take this course, which focuses on handgun safety. Go figure. The Metro PD provides a list of some individuals licensed to teach this course, but the majority of them do not serve the public, and many of those who do are located well outside of the District itself, far out of the reach of the mass transit system. So good luck to you if you are one of the many DC residents who, in light of heavy traffic and expensive parking, do not own a car.
-You must, if buying a new firearm in the District (or having one shipped to you), go to the ONE AND ONLY FFL dealer in the District who will deal with the public. He is a nice enough guy, but he charges $100 per gun and is located in Anacostia, which is one of the worst parts of town, and is not within walking distance of the mass transit system. Again, you're screwed if you don't own a car. You must provide all documentation before conducting the transfer.
-You are required to show up in-person to the Metro PD's Firearm registration unit, regardless of the type of gun you have, and pay fees totaling roughly $75. If the police doesn't like your gun, you are given a few days to remove it from the district or face charges. This is after you've dropped upwards of $300 bucks and several hours plus the cost of the gun.
-If you have -omigosh- a handgun, they hold on to your new firearms for possibly days while they conduct ballistic tests on your handgun. These tests cost additional fees.
-Your gun needs to meet the standards set by the laws of the District of Columbia. You think it's bad here in California? Try DC. You can forget about your bullet buttons, your monster-grip AR's, your Russian American Armory featureless AK's, your single-shot pistol modifications- there is no way those will fly in DC. You are really limited to the DC roster (based off of CA's, without the exceptions) and to hunting-style rifles and shotguns.
-Residency requirements- again, good luck to you if you don't own a car or rent a home and do not have utility bills in your name (discrimination against the urban poor, anyone?). Or if you are a student from out-of-state living in the District.
-Ammunition- Although it's technically legal to ship ammunition to someone who proves that they are the legal owner of a firearm of the same caliber in the District, practically no online dealers will ship to the district. Nobody in the district will sell to you. And good luck going to Virginia to buy ammunition- or use a range, of which there are none for the public in the District- if you don't own a car.
As bad as it sounds, I was rarin' to get back to California. After that nightmare, this place practically feels like Arizona.
So yeah, things are bad here, but DC could really use a 2A revolution. There have been a couple of (very small) pro-2A groups that started and then fizzled out.
Thanks for reading.
I lived in the District myself for a few years and just recently moved back to California. While I realize that this case is important for the potential impact it may have on future cases in California and elsewhere, the right to carry is barely the tip of the iceberg.
Although carrying ("bearing") arms is an important right, if I were still living in the District, I would have much rather seen a suit against the many obstacles in place for people trying to obtain a firearm in the District to begin with. If you look closely, it is very clear that these regulations are designed to keep DC's poor- and there are plenty of them-from exercising their rights. They require excessive fees and a car, both of which are far out of reach for many of DC's residents.
Here's a few of those obstacles:
-Unless you are one of the few Americans who has military experience, you are required to take a "Firearms Safety Course" that costs about $120.
Note: even if you are purchasing a shotgun or rifle, you are still required to take this course, which focuses on handgun safety. Go figure. The Metro PD provides a list of some individuals licensed to teach this course, but the majority of them do not serve the public, and many of those who do are located well outside of the District itself, far out of the reach of the mass transit system. So good luck to you if you are one of the many DC residents who, in light of heavy traffic and expensive parking, do not own a car.
-You must, if buying a new firearm in the District (or having one shipped to you), go to the ONE AND ONLY FFL dealer in the District who will deal with the public. He is a nice enough guy, but he charges $100 per gun and is located in Anacostia, which is one of the worst parts of town, and is not within walking distance of the mass transit system. Again, you're screwed if you don't own a car. You must provide all documentation before conducting the transfer.
-You are required to show up in-person to the Metro PD's Firearm registration unit, regardless of the type of gun you have, and pay fees totaling roughly $75. If the police doesn't like your gun, you are given a few days to remove it from the district or face charges. This is after you've dropped upwards of $300 bucks and several hours plus the cost of the gun.
-If you have -omigosh- a handgun, they hold on to your new firearms for possibly days while they conduct ballistic tests on your handgun. These tests cost additional fees.
-Your gun needs to meet the standards set by the laws of the District of Columbia. You think it's bad here in California? Try DC. You can forget about your bullet buttons, your monster-grip AR's, your Russian American Armory featureless AK's, your single-shot pistol modifications- there is no way those will fly in DC. You are really limited to the DC roster (based off of CA's, without the exceptions) and to hunting-style rifles and shotguns.
-Residency requirements- again, good luck to you if you don't own a car or rent a home and do not have utility bills in your name (discrimination against the urban poor, anyone?). Or if you are a student from out-of-state living in the District.
-Ammunition- Although it's technically legal to ship ammunition to someone who proves that they are the legal owner of a firearm of the same caliber in the District, practically no online dealers will ship to the district. Nobody in the district will sell to you. And good luck going to Virginia to buy ammunition- or use a range, of which there are none for the public in the District- if you don't own a car.
As bad as it sounds, I was rarin' to get back to California. After that nightmare, this place practically feels like Arizona.
So yeah, things are bad here, but DC could really use a 2A revolution. There have been a couple of (very small) pro-2A groups that started and then fizzled out.
Thanks for reading.
waves at them, they might change the arbitrary policy to match that of a nearby state. Hopefully someday, the nearby state that DC looks to for guidance starts with a "V". 
Comment