Gun Control: July 2009 Archives

July 23, 2009

Guns and Drive Thrus: Two Modern American Ills

A tragic story took place in Las Vegas, Nevada but could have happened anywhere in the U.S.  According to news reports, Alex Kopystenski was in his car in the drive-thru lane of a Walgreens drugstore with his 5 year-old son Giovanni in the back seat.  Giovanni found a gun, played with it, and accidentally shot himself.  Giovanni died and his father has been charged with child endangerment. Amazingly, the father was released from jail after posting bail of only $3,000

The sad story illustrates two ills plaguing our country. One is the proliferation of guns.  Their prevalence ensures that some guns will find their way into the hands of irresponsible people like Kopystenski, meaning that tragedies like this will continue to occur.

The second ill, which admittedly pales by comparison, is the spread of drive-thrus. Perhaps as a result of an increasingly overweight population, people don't have to bother to use their legs to pick up double cheeseburgers or a few items from a drugstore.  If this father had parked and taken his son into the store, this story might never have been told.

July 8, 2009

Assault Weapons and the Second Amendment

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In the Heller case (2008), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment protected an individual's right to carry weapons.  Thankfully, it appears that state and local governments still have the power to outlaw especially dangerous weapons.  We won't be seeing people carrying cannons or machine guns down our streets with impunity anytime soon!

In a 2009 California case, People v. James (PDF), Michael E. James was convicted of violating a law (Penal Code 12276) that makes it a crime to possess a variety of assault and military-type weapons. Among the prohibited weapons are the familiar Uzi and something called a "Streetsweeper," which I'd never heard of but sounds incredibly ominous.   

The court in James upheld the conviction.  The judges ruled that the Second Amendment protects only a person's right to own "guns in common use by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes" like hunting or self-defense.  As in other areas, individual rights must be balanced against society's rights.  Chalk up an important win for society.