I was disappointed when I heard about the Supreme Court's decision yesterday overturning Washington, D.C.'s handgun ban. Not surprised - after all the Court is home to Antonin Scalia - just disappointed. On the other hand, I was surprised to hear they chose to rule against capital punishment for rapists. While I am all for coming down extremely hard on perpetrators of sex crimes, I do not think killing people for their crimes is appropriate punishment. I wouldn't have believed the Roberts Court would have delivered a decision limiting the use of capital punishment.
In all, a mixed day in the news yesterday. This morning, however, I was outraged to hear the latest statement from Barak Obama regarding these two decisions.
Those of you who know me probably know that I'm pretty far left on the political spectrum. I have never voted for a Republican in my life. Unless the Republicans go through a complete reversal of direction, I have no intention of doing so in the future. I feel it is a completely morally bankrupt party that is leading our nation toward a totalitarian police state. Which is why I found Obama's statements today so disturbing.
Senator Obama's statement that he agreed with the Court's decision to overturn the handgun ban was disturbing enough. I could forgive him for it even if I disagree. But when he proceeded to say that he opposed the Court's decision regarding capital punishment, I was shocked and appalled. Did I just hear Obama agree with Scalia? Did he just place himself to the right of the most conservative Court in decades?
To top if off, he expresses support for FISA. Oh, don't worry Senator, I wasn't using those civil rights anyway. After all, I'm a loyal law-abiding citizen who has nothing to hide. So please feel free to tap my phone and read my mail.
No no no! Just when I thought we were going to finally reverse 8 years of the race to the Right, the Left's candidate goes and does this?
Friday, June 27
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Honestly, I think that the left needs to drop gun control as a primary issue. They need to win back some of the working class white population in this country, and dropping gun control is the best way to do it.
ReplyDeleteI have been more aware than ever in the past week how influential Anthony Kennedy is. Basically, every Supreme Court decision has come down to him in the last few weeks. Most have been 5-4, with the other four justices on either side at a standoff.
I'm really surprised that it was such a close decision. It was fairly momentous given how long it's been since there was a gun case, and it affirms the 2nd Amendment as an individual right (on par with freedom of religion) rather than as a collective right, but it still doesn't effect most gun control legislation.
ReplyDeleteIt bans the banning of an entire class of arms (handguns), but specifically mentions it as a class "overwhelmingly [chosen] for the lawful purpose of self-defense". That still leaves classes of arms like automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades constitutionally subject to a ban. Firearm registration also seems to still be fair game.
The only really great stretch the decision makes is in prohibiting a requirement that firearms remain trigger-locked when stored in a home. (It's hardly that much of a stretch when you look at other SCOTUS decisions' rationale, like using the Commerce Clause to justify federal drug regulation.)
Another significant part of the decision is that it's the District of Columbia v. Heller, not a state or a city. This leaves how the 2nd Amendment applies to the states still in limbo.
(Darn it, I've got a D&D game I'm supposed to run for my friends in an hour, and you have me reading Supreme Court decisions when I should be drawing encounter maps!)
The decision didn't offend me as much as figureheads pointing at New York City and D.C.'s higher violent crime rates and stronger gun control laws. They intentionally excluding information about the great decrease in violent crime that both city has had in the last decade.
ReplyDeleteJust look at D.C. stats for the last several years. It's unfair to say the handgun ban caused this, but it's quite clearly the opposite of what the figureheads are saying.
http://mpdc.dc.gov/mpdc/cwp/view,a,1239,q,547256,mpdcNav_GID,1556.asp
Interesting that all three of you commented on the gun control issue. While I think gun control is a good thing, it's certainly no litmus test in my book. Of the three offenses by Obama, it was by far the least important. As I said, I'm not going to hold a grudge over it. While I'm disappointed he would do something that appears to be nothing but transparent pandering to white rural voters, it's not an issue that my disagreement with him is going to affect my vote.
ReplyDeleteIt's the other two - capital punishment and FISA - that really concern me. Not that he's listening, but I have two questions for him:
Senator Obama, are you really willing to allow the state to kill someone based on the testimony of a traumatized juvenile? Juvenile testimony is often shaky and easily-influenced by the adults around the child. How long before we hear of a case where the accuser recants after the accused is executed?
And Senator, what happened to your pledge to filibuster any bill that includes retroactive immunity for the telecoms? Why, all of a sudden, are you siding with the corporations and against my civil liberties?