Dude, I sometimes wonder about you.

What do you wonder about me?

My whole expectation about this from the beginning is that we were going to end up with a Kelo-style ruling that professes a theoretical right to keep and bear arms, but with so many limitations that it’s useless in practice. This ruling does nothing to disabuse me of that expectation.

The right isn’t incorporated, so it’s quite likely that a state-passed ban would be valid in any city other than DC. Even in DC, it’s quite possible that New York style licensing that prevents nearly everyone but the well-connected from getting a license would still past muster, so it’s unlikely this ruling will result in significant easier access to firearms by the generally public.

And again, even with all those problem they still only got a 5-4 ruling, which means this is likely going to be considered a ‘fake ruling’ that can be ignored as soon as the composition of the court shifts a little.

I’m just not really in the mood for celebrating a purely symbolic victory.

May not work out that way over time, but the stage has been set and our work has become more difficult and possibly of much longer duration than we had previously expected, which was a considerable length of time, anyway.

I don’t get why everyone is so happy about this ruling

Dude, I sometimes wonder about you.

It seems like the bar has been lowered to the point where anything but an outright disaster is now considered a ‘victory’. Is that really a state worth celebrating?

“The term was applied, then as now, to weapons that were not specifically designed for military use and were not employed in a military capacity.”

Could be playing CYA on NFA?

We are one heart attack away from a failing grade. It matters.

FWIW.

Because Heller conceded at oral argument
that the D. C. licensing law is permissible if it is not enforced arbitrarily
and capriciously, the Court assumes that a license will satisfy
his prayer for relief and does not address the licensing requirement.
Assuming he is not disqualified from exercising Second Amendment
rights, the District must permit Heller to register his handgun and
must issue him a license to carry it in the home.

This bit sounds like licensing is ok but only if it’s ’shall issue’. Might also have some effects on what limits they can place on the licenses.

Other bits I saw in my quick glance may mean that this does not apply to CCW though.

It is ridiculous it was not 9-0.

Who cares? This was pass/fail.

Close call for Liberty.

Now what am I gonna do with all this PVC pipe?