Individuals & the 2nd Amendment

Well, the Washington Post has finally found some activist judges they don't like. They think it's a "dangerous" ruling. The DC Circuit for the US Court of Appeals, the most influential circuit court in the country, has struck down DC's handgun ban as a violation of the 2nd Amendment, and affirming the right of individuals to keep and bear arms under the Constitution. More from WaPo story:

Yesterday's majority opinion said that the District has a right to regulate and require the registration of firearms but not to ban them in homes. The ruling also struck down a section of the D.C. law that required owners of registered guns, including shotguns, to disassemble them or use trigger locks, saying that would render the weapons useless. [snip]

In a footnote, Silberman noted that "the black market for handguns in the District is so strong that handguns are readily available (probably at little premium) to criminals. It is asserted, therefore, that the D.C. gun control laws irrationally prevent only law abiding citizens from owning handguns."

RCP Blog with commentary and links. The opinion here.

A few shock waves may be felt here in Wilmette among backers of the local ban. But others of us have been shocked by the rise in crime, locally and nationally, and a few recent and not-so-recent incidents in Wilmette, which apparently has put out a welcome mat for criminals.

And as those opposed to this ban have stated, why shouldn't the courts apply the Second Amendment much like the First, providing an individual right rather than a collective one?

Perhaps next time a father like Hale DeMar, who may have saved his children's lives that night by having a handgun, won't be charged with a crime by his village. We value our police, but they may not be able to help us all in time, and advice like "locking your bedroom door", given at the time by the police chief, is small comfort.

And women living alone have protected themselves with hanguns. More from the Second Amendment Sisters.

It always amazes me that here in one of the most well-educated zip codes in the country, liberals don't trust their neighbors to handle their lives and their guns responsibly. But that's the liberal nanny state mentality. They know what's good for us.