Here is a story very material to this discussion on legislation in Alaska that deals with some of the problems with the federal law and restoration of the RKBA -
http://www.anchoragepress.com/articles/2010/03/17/news/doc4ba179c50347a229385358.txt also available through KABA website newlinks for 3/18/10.
Restoration and defending the RKBA is no different in many respects to defending the right to free speech or the right of free association or freedom of religion or other basic rights. Changing the law however is not just a matter of simply raising money or filing a court case. It is also a matter of raising public awareness of an issue, and beginning to build a base of public support for it. Of building support in both political parties, in the media, and in RKBA organizations like the NRA. Without the years of work behind Heller - (second amendment scholarship to thoroughly debunk the collective rights argument, building a public consensus that the second protects an individual right, raising a public awareness of the RKBA as a civil right that includes the right to self-defense, as well as the demonstrable success of CCW laws, and years of empirical research that debunked the claims and shoddy studies that purported to show that guns are more detrimental than beneficial to individuals and society) - Heller wouldn't have happened, it wasw all necessary to set the plate or ripen the issue to the point that the USSC was finally willing to rule and support the RKBA.
This and the NFA are the two hardest issues related to the RKBA to tackle and both need to be vetted in the court of public opinion - through discussions like this - before they can be successfully challenged in court or through legislation. If one reads the story in the link it is surprising the courage that some legislators and even the NRA is showing in being willing to tackle this issue. After all those elected to office whether legislators or judges are faced with the prospect of political opponents who will run election ads claiming that they want to indiscriminately arm murders and rapists. Heck even in this thread on a board dedicated largely to the RKBA we have seen that or similar claims made. And the NRA runs the risk of being similarly demonized in the media. But then doing the right thing is not always the easy thing or without risk.
I would hope that this thread is educational and that individuals on this forum who have read or who will choose to read this thread, will if nothing else, have a fuller appreciation for this issue beyond a simple black and white slogan, and it is my hope some will therefore not support the federal blanket ban on "all felons" ever owning firearms and through future conversations share their view and the reasons for it with the wider audience of their friends, families, and peers. And as touched upon in the story link above even a state restoring an individuals RKBA does not guarantee that the federal government will accept it. Which is an issue that I don’t recall being significantly addressed in this thread.
It would be interesting to see if people who have read this entire thread - if there are any other than those posting - have changed there opinion one way or the other in regards to the federal law of 1968 banning all felons from legally owning firearms.
http://www.anchoragepress.com/articles/2010/03/17/news/doc4ba179c50347a229385358.txt also available through KABA website newlinks for 3/18/10.
Restoration and defending the RKBA is no different in many respects to defending the right to free speech or the right of free association or freedom of religion or other basic rights. Changing the law however is not just a matter of simply raising money or filing a court case. It is also a matter of raising public awareness of an issue, and beginning to build a base of public support for it. Of building support in both political parties, in the media, and in RKBA organizations like the NRA. Without the years of work behind Heller - (second amendment scholarship to thoroughly debunk the collective rights argument, building a public consensus that the second protects an individual right, raising a public awareness of the RKBA as a civil right that includes the right to self-defense, as well as the demonstrable success of CCW laws, and years of empirical research that debunked the claims and shoddy studies that purported to show that guns are more detrimental than beneficial to individuals and society) - Heller wouldn't have happened, it wasw all necessary to set the plate or ripen the issue to the point that the USSC was finally willing to rule and support the RKBA.
This and the NFA are the two hardest issues related to the RKBA to tackle and both need to be vetted in the court of public opinion - through discussions like this - before they can be successfully challenged in court or through legislation. If one reads the story in the link it is surprising the courage that some legislators and even the NRA is showing in being willing to tackle this issue. After all those elected to office whether legislators or judges are faced with the prospect of political opponents who will run election ads claiming that they want to indiscriminately arm murders and rapists. Heck even in this thread on a board dedicated largely to the RKBA we have seen that or similar claims made. And the NRA runs the risk of being similarly demonized in the media. But then doing the right thing is not always the easy thing or without risk.
I would hope that this thread is educational and that individuals on this forum who have read or who will choose to read this thread, will if nothing else, have a fuller appreciation for this issue beyond a simple black and white slogan, and it is my hope some will therefore not support the federal blanket ban on "all felons" ever owning firearms and through future conversations share their view and the reasons for it with the wider audience of their friends, families, and peers. And as touched upon in the story link above even a state restoring an individuals RKBA does not guarantee that the federal government will accept it. Which is an issue that I don’t recall being significantly addressed in this thread.
It would be interesting to see if people who have read this entire thread - if there are any other than those posting - have changed there opinion one way or the other in regards to the federal law of 1968 banning all felons from legally owning firearms.