23 Years Ago Today ...

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The provisions were passed outlawing civilian ownership of machine guns. There is a bill in progress now to reform and modernize BAFTE and some firearms laws. I encourage everyone who feels that an outright ban on automatic weapons is an abrogation of the Second Amendment (or just bad policy) to encourage your Congressmen and Senators (and other people's Congressmen/Senators as well) to ask their legislators for a repeal of the 922(o) machine gun ban. There's no defense like a good offense!


H.R.2296 (111th Congress 2009, 1st Session)
H.R. 2296: To reform the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, modernize firearms laws and... (GovTrack.us)

This is related to Senate Bill:
S.941 (111th Congress 2009, 1st Session)
S. 941: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Reform and Firearms Modernization Act of 2009 (GovTrack.us)
 
We could simply point out the opinion stated during the Heller vs DC supreme court case where Justice Scalia stated:

It may be objected that if weapons that are most useful in military service—M-16 rifles and the like—may be banned, then the Second Amendment right is completely detached from the prefatory clause.

But as we have said, the conception of the militia at the time of the Second Amendment’s ratification was the body of all citizens capable of military service, who would bring the sorts of lawful weapons that they possessed at home to militia duty.

It may well be true today that a militia, to be as effective as militias in the 18th century, would require
sophisticated arms that are highly unusual in society at large.

Indeed, it may be true that no amount of small arms could be useful against modern-day bombers and tanks.
But the fact that modern developments have lim­ited the degree of fit between the prefatory clause and the protected right cannot change our interpretation of the right.

His ruling basically means that based on the writings of the second amendment, we're allowed to carry fire arms normally used in the military, so fighting these laws in court shouldn't be too hard based on the ruling.
 
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