DC is WRONG! Second Amendment Rights for the Individual

DC is WRONG! Second Amendment Rights for the Individual

The Supreme Court ruled today that the handgun, rifle, and shotgun ban in Washington D.C. was an egregious violation of the 2nd Amendment, affirming that it is the right of the individual citizen to bear arms, not just in the form of a government regulated militia.

More to follow as details and the rulings are released later today.

Update 1: Ruling was a 5-4 decision, with Scalia writing for the majority, which included Kennedy, Roberts, Thomas, Scalia, and Alito. Stevens wrote for the minority, joined by Ginsberg, Breyers, and Souter.

This ruling does NOT impact the ban on ownership of guns by felons and the mentally insane, nor does it affect current standing restrictions on the sales of firearms. (Delay, permit checks, licenses, etc.)

–J.L.

Politicians Bash Yesterday’s Death Penalty Ruling

Politicians from the affected states claim they refuse to support yesterday’s ruling.

So, the legislators in the affected states are opposing this ruling, and are vowing to rewrite these laws anyway, to force the Supreme Court to address this issue again. Good.

One thing important to remember about all SC rulings – they are not laws. They are guidelines for lower courts to follow – in short, they set precedent, so it’s highly likely that all lower courts will rule in the same manner as the Supreme Court. However, in terms of law, they only have absolute authority in the specific case they heard. All other cases are simply “assumed” to follow in the same path. Thus, these states are absolutely in their right to ignore this ruling and pass new laws – they’ll simply be unable to enforce them until the SC reverses its ruling today.

More on the rest of today’s upcoming rulings, especially the gun ban, later.

–J.L.

First Steps

Upcoming events this week: Supreme Court rules with regard to the death penalty for child rapists, whether or not the US Navy must refuse to operate in certain sea areas due to sonar interfering with whales and other sea life, the Washington D.C. hand gun ban, and seven other cases of lesser controversy.

The First Steps

Seeing as this is the christening post of Torches and Pitchforks, I feel I should say something profound, or prophetic, to get us underway.

…nah, I’ve got nothin’.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a creature of the news. When I was young, my dad would drive me to cub scout campouts, and I’d listen to Rush Limbaugh or Dr. Laura during the nigh-eternal car trip to get there. As I grew older, it was rare for me not to check the local news – pick up a paper and read it, listen to the radio and discuss it with those who seemed interested.

Today, it’s easier than ever to get the news – while sources such as radio, television, and print are still abundant, the internet has moved full throttle towards a rapid disbursement, twenty-four hour news media. Stories from Saigon to the Sudan, from Roanoke to Richmond, and even two blocks down the road from where you live are available via a simple click of the mouse. However, with this much information, it’s easier than ever to simply dismiss it – to watch as this overwhelming torrent of mindless, self-praising drivel passes by, and instead just continue with the day to day activities of life. More power to you, it’s probably a better choice and you’ll live more of a stress free life.

It’s been said that a vigilant media is the guardian of a free people from a tyrranic government. This is a partial truth at best – the media are the eyes and ears of the people, but they are not the brain, no matter how many news-analysts tell you otherwise. At the end of the day, we as the populace have the responsibility to follow the happenings of the world, of the nation, and of our community. We, the people, are the guardians of our own freedom, and to this end, we too must be vigilant.

A few clips from todays news exemplifies this:

• $300 Billion Mortgage Bailout Passes Senate
• U.S. Senators’ Mortgages Under Microscope for Bribery
• CitiGroup Seeks Cash Loan from Sauds to Remain Solvent

So, we have our nation’s largest bank running to the Saudi government to borrow cash, in order to stay afloat. At the same time, a pork-loaded semi-controversial bill passes the Senate in order to award $300 billion to people who are going to default on their mortgage payments, and to the companies who took the risk in handing out said mortgages. At the same time, we have leading Senate chairmen of the Banking and Finance committees under investigation for having recieved better-than-VIP mortgage loans in recent months, leading up this this bill’s formation.

• Canadian Court Says Father Lacks Legal Right to Ground Daughter
• 15 and 16 Year Old Massachusetts Girls Make Pact to Get Pregnant

Related stories again? Perhaps.

• Dubai to Construct World’s First Moving Building

Did you know that 60% of the world’s top quality construction cranes are currently being leased in Dubai? That’s a city, not a country. (This, in fact, relates to that crane collapse that killed four in New York a couple weeks back… most cranes being used in the U.S. at this time are of a third-tier quality.)

Or maybe something more local? This one’s hometown for me personally:

• Fairfax County Board Refuses to Deny Public Funding for Extremist Islamic Academy

Bill Clinton will be joining the Obama campaign. OPEC President says they will not increase oil production; price of gasoline remains high. Yahoo and Microsoft renew merger talks. Price of corn through the roof. US Senate refuses to relax ethanol standards. US commodities pricing and inflation both through the roof. EU begins to approve bank freeze sanctions against Iran over uncooperation with the inspection of their nuclear program. China prepares military armaments for the protection of the Olympic games. Robert Mugabe sics his thug squads on his political opposition, forcing the duly elected president of Zimbabwae to drop out of revote, thus continuing his 24 year long dictatorship. Bombing near the US embassy in Iraq kills 9 Iraqis, 2 US soldiers, and 1 embassy staffer.

And it’s a slow news day.

The point I wish to impress here, is not about the quantity of news, but about the way to look at it. Imagine going through a newspaper, reading all of those headlines – they come at you fast. But none of these events occur in a vacuum. Each is related to each other, even if only partially, as though each story was a junction in a fantastic spider’s web. What I hope to impress, and will do my best to demonstrate over the time ahead, is how new stories are all related to each other, and even the seemingly inconsequential matters.

We’ll do politics. We’ll do ideologies. We’ll do the news. We’ll cover policy, and idiots, and fun stories, and hopefully, have a good time, and come out of it a little better informed. Because, at the end of the day, this stuff matters. Following the news helps you see rough times ahead before they happen, helps you predict trends, and, most importantly, keeps the power to control your own life solidly in your hands.

–J.L.