Hugh Damright
New member
On what do you base the assertion that any law that infringes on a fundamental right is unconstitutional? It's not as if the Framers' Constitution protected our fundamental rights against State/local laws. I think that the only way that the US Constitution protects fundamental rights is through the 14th "Amendment", which says that no State shall abridge the privileges or immunities of US citizens. Since DC isn't a State, there might be some argument about whether the 14th is binding upon DC.self defense is a fundamental right and therefore any law or regulation that infringes on that right is unconstitutional
Exactly how do the DC laws infringe on the right to self-defense? If a person cannot have a handgun in his home but can have a shotgun or rifle, then does the handgun ban infringe on a right to self-defense? If weapons must be kept unloaded and with a lock on the trigger, is that a law regarding the use of a firearm in self-defense, or is it a law regarding the storage of a weapon when not being used for self-defense? Some people try to spin it so that the DC law makes it illegal to use a weapon in self-defense, but if that is what the big deal is, then can't DC just change the law to say that the storage requirements do not apply to firearms rendered operable in response to an immediate threat?