They must not listen to much Country music in DC

There's got to be at least one Country music station in DC...

You got know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run

-The Gambler, by Kenny Rogers

Mayor Fenty, it's time to run!

The WaPo writes that the Parker Gun Ban Ruling Puts Fenty on the Spot.

"As he wades into a high-stakes debate over the Second Amendment, the new mayor of the nation's capital faces the possibility that the city could lose the case and undercut decades of hard-fought gun-control legislation across the country."

Fenty's hand looked good at the flop, but the wheels started to wiggle and jiggle at the turn. And when the river card hit the felt, the wheels came off. Even the most zealous members of the anti-gun lobby are sounding like it's time to make for the door.

Hopefully, the mayor will take the advice of those who counsel fleeing. And thus far, he's not harumphing and promising to "take this all the way to the Supreme Court!!".

The DC gun ban (And it is, in practice, a ban!) is a legislative mess. Legislative messes should be cleaned up by legislators, not judges. While there would be an undeniable advantage for gun owners to have a favorable pro-RKBA ruling from the Supreme Court to use as a club in States like California, it would be better for our Republic if our elected representatives behaved like adults and wrote laws that comport with the Constitution. Ultimately, it harms our nation if our legislatures cannot fulfill their role in government; leaning on the judicial branch instead of thinking for themselves.

Mayor Fenty will best serve his city and the Nation if he quits this case while he can. Lay your cards down and rewrite this flawed law, Mr. Mayor.

Parker update...

Appellate Judges Let Gun Ruling Stand - washingtonpost.com

The Federal appeals court for DC declined a request by the city for an en banc hearing. The court voted 6-4 to deny the city's request. The city, predictably, has its collective knickers in a twist. Mayor Fenty expressed a Daschlelian level of rage saying that he's "deeply disappointed". The city's ruling poobahs must decide now if they wish to go "all in" with the US Supreme Court or fold and re-write their laws.

Personally, I think that since their laws are a legislative mistake, a legislative fix is preferable to a judicial fix. Many on our side, however, would like to see a SCOTUS ruling. Would it not have been better to have never been in this situation at all; that legislators at all levels of government would have had such an ingrained respect for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms that laws such as the DC gun ban would never have been passed in the first place? The next best thing to such an alternative history is that lawmakers develop that respect now and start to dismantle their unconstitutional gun laws without a court order. We shall see if DC develops that kind of respect for liberty.

On a related note: This quote from the WaPo story deserves comment...

D.C. Assistant Police Chief Winston Robinson Jr. said he's sorry that some residents don't feel safe in their homes without guns but stressed that the recent massacre at Virginia Tech should remind them that guns don't increase safety.

"More than likely, that weapon in their home will be used against them," Robinson said. "Just think about what happened recently in Virginia: guns in the hands of people who shouldn't have them."

Chief Wiggum Robinson must not have been paying close attention. The VT massacre took place in a "gun free" zone; like they have in DC. The only ones paying attention to the gun ban were the victims; like it is in DC. What would it have been like at VT if the unarmed victims weren't legally required to be unarmed victims?

...like they are in DC.

Sandra Froman: Why You Should Care About Parker v. District of Columbia

Sandra Froman writes about Parker v. District of Columbia: "There is a case working its way to the Supreme Court that might settle one of the biggest unanswered questions in constitutional law: Does the Second Amendment guarantee an individual right to own a gun? Whether or not you own a gun, this is a case you should care about."

(A copy of the ruling can be found here.)