D.C.: Only Criminals Have An Easy Time Getting A Gun
Emily Miller writes in the Washington Times about the process of buying a gun in D.C.:
My quest started in October at the D.C. Gun Registry at the police department. I met with Officer Brown, who put piles of paper on the desk between us. "Here's everything you need to know," she said, pointing to a stack about a quarter-inch thick.I asked where I could buy the gun. "You can go to any licensed dealer in another state - or on the Internet," she said. "Then give this form to Charles Sykes downstairs, and he'll go pick it up for you and transfer it." I glanced through the registration packet and saw no reference to Mr. Sykes or transferring a gun. So I figured while I was there, I should track down this man, who seemed to play a key role.
By luck, Mr. Sykes was in the office, where he works about four hours a day, by appointment, as Washington's only legal gun broker. While gun sales have been skyrocketing in the rest of the country, D.C. residents have been buying at a rate of about 250 a year, so Mr. Sykes isn't getting rich. He charges $125 to pick up the gun and do the transfer.
I told Mr. Sykes that I'd recently asked D.C. Council Chairman Kwame R. Brown whether he supported the Second Amendment. "I don't support having more guns in the District of Columbia," Mr. Brown had replied, "I don't think we need more guns in our streets."
Mr. Sykes shook his head when he heard this. "In all other cities, you can have guns. Why do they say, 'We don't want guns in the nation's capital?' They are here. And you can go a lot of different places and get them just like that," he said, snapping his fingers.
That day, I went home and started poring through the 22-page registration packet. Overwhelmed by the confusing forms and instructions, I started with the eligibility form. After answering the nine questions and feeling that I'd accomplished something, I noticed that it required a signature by a notary public. At this rate, I would be an owner of a legal handgun about the same time I'd be eligible for Social Security.
...All the instructors teach out of their own homes or, more specifically, as one said, "in my basement." The police do a criminal-background check on each of them, but I still didn't feel safe going alone to an armed stranger's basement.
It seemed to me the D.C. politicians who came up with this requirement never considered the impact this would have on a woman trying to register a gun. Forcing us to go to a strange man's house in another state to take a gun-safety class is not something the police should do.
"It seemed to me the D.C. politicians who came up with this requirement never considered the impact this would have on a woman trying to register a gun."
No they did consider it, they just want her defenseless.
They love to put extra hurdles on it, extra costs.
I've said it before, but the only way to really make some restrictions become sane is to tie them to other things that the other side likes. So make the rules for gun ownership the same as for registering to vote. Both are constitutionally protected rights, denied to the same individuals:the underage, previous felons, and the psychiatrically deemed dangerous.
If that were so, picture the uproar with a city like DC, with only 250 people being able to vote.
Joe J at January 19, 2012 7:23 AM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/01/dc-only-crimina.html#comment-2924197">comment from Joe JGun ownership is possible in name only, pretty much, in D.C.
Amy Alkon
at January 19, 2012 7:50 AM
Damn, she spelled poring correctly. Most people these days spell it pouring.
Robert at January 19, 2012 8:09 AM
The thing that always struck me about banning firearms (or drugs, or lots of other things for that matter) is that, if you were interested in the ban being more than a token gesture of disapproval, you'd have to actually send somebody around to collect the guns, or drugs, or whatever.
Who's going to go into Southeast D.C. and collect the guns? You up for it? I'm not.
Old RPM Daddy at January 19, 2012 8:14 AM
Old RPM: "Who's going to go into Southeast D.C. and collect the guns? You up for it? I'm not.
"
Technically every once in a while they do something "like that" Cash for guns programs. Where cops go in and buy guns from people who volunteer up the guns, few or no questions asked. I assume they then check balistics to see if the guin is evidence, then they destroy the guns.
In practice it is kind of like cash for clunkers, sell your old rusty/broken gun for 3x the price so you can go buy the latest greatest ones.
But police and gov't people hail it as a life saving thing.
Joe J at January 19, 2012 9:42 AM
"Damn, she spelled poring correctly. Most people these days spell it pouring."
Buncha loosers! They need e-learnings!
I'm waiting for the next meme. It will be misspelled.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at January 19, 2012 10:54 AM
Or her editor did.
Conan the Grammarian at January 19, 2012 12:02 PM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/01/dc-only-crimina.html#comment-2924376">comment from Conan the GrammarianRead my mind, Conan.
A friend just sent me a book that not only has his name as the author but then - eek - at the end of his author statement, it says "edited by [author]." Bad.
My copyeditor, SuperDave (my nickname for him) makes my column better every week. Everybody needs an editor.
Amy Alkon
at January 19, 2012 12:14 PM
"It seemed to me the D.C. politicians who came up with this requirement never considered the impact this would have on a woman trying to register a gun."
No they did consider it, they just want her defenseless.
----------------
I also believe they knew exactly what they were doing. And they probably knew this particular hoop would be more intimidating for women to jump through, and either didn't care or thought that was a good outcome. But I can't think of any reason, sane or insane, why anyone would think that. So I'm probably just being paranoid on that one.
rm at January 19, 2012 1:55 PM
I don't know about other states, but here in Connecticut, I can (as a female) own a rifle. Or two. Without a permit. I have a 30.06 shotgun and a .17 caliber hunting rifle (I'm sure the squirrels panic when they see me come out the door with it! Or not. Little fuckers have been pretty bold lately, raiding the bird feeders. You know how they do). I applied for and received my concealed carry permit for a handgun, of which I have 2. Took about 6 months, and I had to attend a required class, which was not problem. Mind you, now, I'm not a felon or anything or I'd have been denied on that alone. I am a card-carrying member of the NRA. I am a firm believer in and supporter of the Second Amendment (as well as the rest of them). This kinda crap makes me ill. (There is still a law on the books in my town that "No man shall attend a Sunday church service unarmed." This goes back to the late 1600s. The town was settled in 1639.)
Flynne at January 19, 2012 6:33 PM
Fun graph.
Homicide is #16.
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at January 19, 2012 10:09 PM
PS/Amy-- While checking to be sure I never misspelled "poring" here, I found a busted web page:
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2008/04/when-life-gives-1.html
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at January 19, 2012 10:15 PM
The $125 transfer fee is high.
To put it in perspective, in western Pennsylvania the prices for firearm transfer fees ranged from $20 to $50, as of last week, when someone I know paid the fee when picking up her new firearm. She was able to pick a dealer by doing an internet search, and chose a dealer based on business hours, location, and price.
The difference of $105 to $80 (between the DC flat fee and the PA fee(s)) would more than cover the additional costs needed to register a firearm in DC ($48-$60), and still leave some money left to put toward the required concealed carry course.
Michelle at January 19, 2012 10:32 PM
I always love when people blow off the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution:
Where in that compound sentence does it say anything about D.C.?
I want to propose this modification to the U.S. Constitution:
How about
When you put those changes to the text of U.S. Constitution in place, then you have a totally different animal.
Would anyone agree to it?
If you can answer "yes" honestly, I suggest you find your nearest psychiatric professional and ask about cognitive dissonance.
Jim P. at January 19, 2012 10:46 PM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/01/dc-only-crimina.html#comment-2925049">comment from Crid [CridComment at gmail]Thanks, Crid...will fix.
Amy Alkon
at January 19, 2012 11:23 PM
Nice idea, Jim.
If you'd like to see a few things, including great photography, illustrating firearms rights issues, look here.
Radwaste at January 22, 2012 1:30 PM
This might be Flynne!
Radwaste at February 4, 2012 5:32 PM
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