Thirdpower shows that the Illinois State Police are threatening to further delay FOID approvals, and stop processing background checks if they don’t get a bill they want, which has a number of gun control measures attached to it.
It’s going to take incidents like this to convince the Supreme Court that there can’t really be any licensing of this right. Not when people like Mayor Rahm are out there, and view licensing as a way to limit its exercise. Ironically, I think these kinds of childish tantrums might be able to help move the courts in the right direction over the long term. If they were willing to treat gun licenses like hunting licenses or marriage licenses, I would be worried the courts may uphold them. But they still view licensing as a means of disenfranchising people, and turning a right into a state granted privilege. It shows no more clearly than it does in this case, and I don’t think the Court should stand by it.
Best not to interrupt an enemy while he makes a mistake…
The Courts SHOULD stand against it, but haven’t really yet. How they can read the 2nd amendment and not think it’s an individuals right to own and carry arms, and any and all arms too, as the militia is attached to the right making military arms at least included if not of a higher importance than hunting arms.
The Heller v. D.C. decision unfortunately left the door open to local governments to prohibit gun ownership in everything but name. Granted, virtual bans like D.C.’s & Chicago’s are probably going to be ruled unconstitutional but there will always be wiggle room for local governments to pervert the law as long as licensing at all is required, as you say.
This is why we’re working on a bill to repeal pistol registration in Michigan. It cleared committee last week. The State Police are not too amused that we are taking away their power.