Exercising the Right
Gun Control Via Zoning?
It would appear that anti-gun activists never stop dreaming up new ways to attack the Second Amendment. The Associated Press reported on October 10 about a federal appeals court ruling that held a local zoning ordinance which made it virtually impossible to open a new gun store in a populated area was not in violation of the Second Amendment. The ruling by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a county ordinance in California that banned the opening of a new gun store “within 500 feet (152 meters) of schools, day-care centers, residential areas, liquor stores and other gun shops.” A majority of the 11-judge panel voted to uphold the law in a decision drafted by Judge Marsha Berzon, who wrote, “Gun buyers have no right to have a gun store in a particular location, at least as long as their access is not meaningfully constrained.” The decision also stated that there is no constitutional right to sell guns.
The ordinance was originally passed by the county of Alameda, which is in the San Francisco Bay Area. This decision was a disappointment for local gun groups because it overturned a Ninth Circuit decision from last year that held that the Second Amendment did protect the right to open a gun store and that governments must have a justifiable reason to place restrictions on gun stores.
Best-laid Plans
The Fox affiliate in Detroit reported on October 10 about an attempted robbery that was quickly ended by a Concealed Pistol License (CPL) holder. Fox 2 reported that the whole incident was caught on tape by high-definition surveillance cameras right outside a mini-mart on the city’s east side. The video shows two men standing by a car as another man approaches wearing a hoodie. The hooded man then pulls a gun from his pocket and points it at the two men. One of the robbery victims, the CPL holder, swats the suspect’s gun away while he pulls out his own gun and opens fire. The robbery suspect and the CPL holder exchange gunfire, but the suspect looks to be hit almost immediately and falls to the ground. The other robbery victim, the cousin of the CPL holder, accidentally runs through the crossfire to get away and ends up getting shot as well. Authorities were called to the scene, and both the injured suspect and the wounded cousin were taken for treatment. Both are expected to make full recoveries.
JBS Member or ShopJBS.org Customer?
Sign in with your ShopJBS.org account username and password or use that login to subscribe.
Subscribe Now
- 24 Issues Per Year
- Digital Edition Access
- Exclusive Subscriber Content
- Audio provided for all articles
- Unlimited access to past issues
- Cancel anytime.
- Renews automatically
Subscribe Now
- 24 Issues Per Year
- Print edition delivery (USA)
*Available Outside USA - Digital Edition Access
- Exclusive Subscriber Content
- Audio provided for all articles
- Unlimited access to past issues
- Cancel anytime.
- Renews automatically