February 26, 2016

Appeals court rejects District’s request to revisit D.C. gun-control case

Source: Washington Post

A federal appeals court announced Friday that it will not revisit some of the District’s strict gun registration requirements that it struck down last fall.

A majority of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit voted against rehearing the case as a full panel. The decision upholds an earlier three-judge ruling that knocked down the city’s one-gun-per-month law, while upholding the government’s authority to issue gun regulations that promote public safety.

In denying the city’s request, Judge Patricia A. Millett — who has been mentioned as a potential nominee to replace Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia — sought to clarify her vote on a controversial topic. Millett wrote that the city had failed to fully show in court how some of its registration requirements — particularly a 15-question test on local gun laws — were sufficiently related to the government’s interest in promoting public safety.


Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/appeals-court-rejects-districts-request-to-revisit-dc-gun-control-case/2016/02/26/d9cee2de-dca4-11e5-891a-4ed04f4213e8_story.html

February 25, 2016

'DARK DAY': Sheriff's deputy killed, 2 deputies injured in Colorado shootout

Source: Fox News

A sheriff’s deputy was killed and two others were injured Wednesday in a shootout shortly after serving an eviction notice in a rural area about 45 miles southwest of Denver, Colorado.

The suspect, who was reportedly identified as 58-year-old Martin Wirth, was pronounced dead at the scene. It was unclear if he was killed in the gunfire or if he took his own life, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jacki Kelley told the Denver Post.

* * *
Wirth ran for the state Senate in 2014 as a Green Party candidate but lost to an incumbent Republican. In a questionnaire to candidates by The Denver Post, Wirth wrote of corruption in the political system, his support for Colorado's marijuana laws and the plight of the poor.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/02/24/sheriffs-deputy-killed-2-deputies-injured-in-colorado-shootout.html?intcmp=hplnws

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Reminded me of the Pennsylvania shooting a few months ago where a young girl was killed when her father pulled a weapon on a police officer serving an eviction notice. Sad event.

February 22, 2016

Sandy Hook Parents Suing Firearms Manufacturer

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/22/health/sandy-hook-families-gun-lawsuit/

Sandy Hook is one of the saddest events I've seen but this lawsuit is simply misguided. The details are a bit hazy, but it appears the claim is that Remington acted negligently by marketing a firearm that was modeled on a military-use weapon, even though (1) there are critical differences between the weapon used in Sandy Hook and a military weapon and (2) the weapon used in Sandy Hook is similar to millions of other rifles on the market but just looks different. The judge almost certainly will throw this case out based on PLCAA, but even if that law didn't exist the premise of this lawsuit seeks really weak to me.

February 2, 2016

If Bernie wins tonight

And he will certainly carry New Hampshire, will the Democratic party try to convince Biden (or even Warren) to enter the race? This is a crazy election year.

February 1, 2016

I was blocked from the Hillary group tonight

For posting a response questioning Bernie's vote on the bill protecting firearm manufacturers and dealers from suit. Never been blocked from a group before and feels sort of weird. The title of my post was "It was one bill." Here's the body of my post that was so outrageous it led me to being blocked:

"And it wasn't 'welfare.' Simple question - do you think Ford should be subject to lawsuit because a driver used a Ford truck to kill someone? Yes or no?"

Didn't get an answer but did get banned. Are AgnosticHerbert or Cha hosts of that group? I'm pretty amazed/appalled at the folks on DU who want to discourage the least bit of disagreement with their position. This is supposedly a progressive website, but as soon as you disagree with someone or ask the hard questions you get banned so that feelings don't get hurt?

Anyway, hoping that whomever the Dems nominate is the next president, and that the folks who want to restrict speech and limit (supposedly) opposing viewpoints are never in a position to actually make that decision.