it's omar! omar's coming!

It might go without saying but I’m interested in today’s Heller case before the Supreme Court. I thought of taking the day off and heading down early to see if one could get in for oral arguments but I’m glad I didn’t – the lines were way down the street even yesterday. The court is releasing the argument immediately after it finishes and it should be up (CSPAN.org) at about 11:15am (EDT).

Heller addresses D.C.’s 30-year-old ban on handguns. Don’t read any more into that than need be. The reason that cert was granted is for this and this alone:

“Whether the Second Amendment forbids the District of Columbia from banning private possession of handguns while allowing possession of rifles and shotguns.”

So, Get your panties unbunched and feel free to slap around anyone who intimates that this case will decide whether or not the good folk of D.C. (and other jurisdictions) will still be able to protect themselves in their homes with shotguns and rifles – they can fire away, as one might say.

I’ve long been a proponent of outlawing all handguns, period. You have a handgun and you’re under arrest. I’d give time, maybe months, for people to turn in handguns and receive compensation but they’d be well aware that after day x, no more handguns. I know I’m crazy. As far as defending my home from invaders I’m of the mind that a couple of good shotgun blasts across the bow of the living room has a much better chance of downing the baddie than me waving a pistol around in the dark – that’s my first stance against handguns. Second, I don’t actually buy into the idea that more guns, with people arming up because everyone else is arming up, is a solution. And finally, unless you’re a badass like Omar from The Wire you’ll have a tougher time killing people and hiding weapons if you can’t have a hand gun in the back of your pants. Trust me...Omar doesn't care one bit about blasting away with the big gun.

T