Ok,
I will up front admit to being totally new to the Peaceful Civil Disobedience movement. However, lately I've greatly enjoyed watching
The Ridley Report on YouTube and I wondered about something. I'm going to assume that the Assault Rifle Ban will be reauthorized:
Assault Weapons Ban Reauthorization Act of 2008
6/12/2008--Introduced.
Assault Weapons Ban Reauthorization Act of 2008 - Amends the federal criminal code to reinstate, for 10 years, the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act's assault weapons ban to prohibit the manufacture, transfer, or possession of a semiautomatic assault weapon or a large capacity ammunition feeding device. Specifies models and features of banned weapons. Sets forth exceptions to such ban, including:
(1) firearms or devices lawfully possessed under federal law on the date of enactment of this Act;
(2) certain firearms, replicas, or duplicates listed in an appendix as they were manufactured on October 1, 1993;
(3) any firearm that is manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action and that has been rendered permanently inoperable or that is an antique firearm;
(4) any semiautomatic rifle that cannot accept a detachable magazine that holds more than five rounds of ammunition;
(5) any semiautomatic shotgun that cannot hold more than five rounds in a fixed or detachable magazine; and
(6) firearms manufactured for, transferred to, or possessed by a federal, state, or local government agency or for law enforcement.
Requires the serial number of any weapon or device manufactured after enactment of this Act to clearly show the date of manufacture.
Directs the Attorney General to study and report to Congress on the effects of this Act on violent and drug trafficking crime.
What this means in general? AR-15's are banned. The Remington 12-gauge 870 20" shotgun with high capacity (8 shot) is banned. Any pistol with a magazine holding more than 10 rounds (maybe even less). The M1 Garand is banned (goodbye new WWII American reenactors).
The best solution is to have the bill defeated. However, I find it unlikely that with Congress becoming Filibuster Proof that such a measure will be defeated. It most certainly be signed into law, again. This despite the wording of both
Miller and
Heller that make such laws patently unConstitutional (
Miller says the Government can only regulate non-Military weapons and
Heller includes language for 'all commonly used firearms' being outside government purview). So, what choice does that leave gun owners in America?
Why not an Open Carry (and I mean more than just pistols, but also 'assault rifles', 'shotguns' and the like) March on Washington D.C.? I realise there is a greatly increased chance of the potential for violence. However, if the March were to include several THOUSAND protestors, all armed, would the DC Cops, Secret Service or whomever really want to escalate the situation? Would the government be that incredibly stupid to push a mob of armed peaceful protestors to the point they defended themselves with force? Even if protestors are breaking the law by open carrying, isn't such a law automatically invalid since the 2nd Amendment contains no caveats?
If such a march were to occur, remain peaceful or at remain least non-violent act of civil disobedience, would Congress go ahead and authorize such a Ban?