Just in time to boost the sales of assault weapons for Christmas 2015, David G. Savage reports in Supreme Court lets local ban on assault weapons stand:
In a victory for gun-control advocates, the Supreme Court on Monday rejected a 2nd Amendment challenge to a local law that forbids the sale or possession of semiautomatic weapons that carry more than 10 rounds of ammunition.
The justices by a 7-2 vote refused to review rulings by judges in Chicago who upheld a ban on assault weapons in the city of Highland Park as a reasonable gun-control regulation. Justices Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia dissented.
The court’s decision, while not a formal ruling, strongly suggests the justices do not see the 2nd Amendment as protecting a right to own or carry powerful weapons in public.
…
If you are a member of the NRA (I am), you will be getting frantic communications from Wayne LaPierre decrying this latest government infringement on your Second Amendment rights.
Except he will probably phrase it as jack-booted thugs who are crouched next to your front door, ready to seize guns you mean to use only for hunting and self-defense.
Anyone who needs an assault rifle for hunting isn’t a hunter in the sense of Field and Stream. They are more like the description in Death Wish (Charles Bronson) where one character says:
…thinks we shoot our guns because it’s an extension of our penises.
To which Charles Bronson’s character replies:
I never thought about it that way. It could be true.
I mention that because the fabled accounts about this Supreme Court refusal of review are going to paint it as doom and gloom for anyone wanting to buy an assault rifle with a reasonably sized magazine.
NOT SO!
The City of Highland Park is all of 12 square miles in size.
Within those 12 square miles, you cannot possess or sell a semiautomatic weapon that has more than 10 rounds of ammunition.
I haven’t adjusted for federal courthouses and similar areas where you cannot possess any firearm, much less a semiautomatic weapon with or without more than 10 rounds of ammunition, but the total area of the United States is 3,794,083 square miles, including water (or 9,826,630 square km).
Impact of the Supreme Court ruling: you cannot possess or sell a semiautomatic weapon with more than 10 rounds of ammunition for 12 square miles but you can both possess and sell such a weapon for 3,794,071 square miles, including water (or 9,836,599.1 square km).
I don’t feel all the threatened by a 12 square mile area ban on assault weapons with more than 10 rounds of ammunition.
Don’t be stampeded into spending your Christmas money on yet another assault rifle or more ammunition.
Buy yourself something useful in case we have “technicals” as in Mogadishu.
WikiTravel describes Mogadishu this way:
WARNING: There is a high threat from terrorism, including kidnapping, throughout Somalia, excluding Somaliland. Terrorist groups have made threats against Westerners and those working for Western organizations. It is known that there is a constant threat of terrorist attacks in Mogadishu. The city also remains in great danger of suicide bombings and other terrorist attacks carried out by extremists who manage to get past security checkpoints around the city. Walking the streets of Mogadishu remains very dangerous, even with armed guards. Tourists are emphatically discouraged from visiting Mogadishu for the time being, while business travelers should take extreme caution and make thorough plans for any trips. Travel outside Mogadishu remains extremely dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. Those working for aid agencies should consult the security plans or advice of your organization.
May I suggest you consider acquiring a dozen or more Rocket-Propelled Grenades (RPG)? This includes the U.S. M72 LAW rocket launcher (disposable tube).
The legality of both purchasing and possessing an RPG of any make or model vary considerably from place to place, as will your appetite for risk. However, they are definitely a step up from assault rifles even with more than 10 rounds of ammunition.
You may remember seeing the Lenco Bearcat scooting around San Bernadino at a reported cost of $375,000.00.
Keep in mind that an RPG:
is to a Lenco Bearcat:
as an electric can opener:
is to a tin can:
Don’t believe the hype from the NRA or desk jockey “war fighters.” Neither side really stands up to minimal verification.