Supreme Court strikes down Trump-era ban on bump stocks, gun accessories used in 2017 Vegas massacre
Supreme Court strikes down Trump-era ban on rapid-fire rifle bump stocks, reopening political fight
Twaz the way it was always going to go. There is very specific wording for what is a machine gun, and a bump stock did not meet it.
The 6-3 majority opinion written by Justice Clarence Thomas said a semiautomatic rifle with a bump stock is not an illegal machine gun because it doesn’t make the weapon fire more than one shot with a single pull of the trigger.
While I have not followed this case or read this ruling, bolded section would appear to be true (maybe, I can think of reasons that it could be seen differently). However, that doesn't mean that bump stocks are legal. It just means that the case before the court was to decide whether a bump stock turned a semiauto into a "machine gun."
It would be elementary to make bump stocks illegal, because bump stocks are not firearms. Making bump stocks illegal wouldn't cross the Second Amendment.
It would be elementary to make bump stocks illegal, because bump stocks are not firearms. Making bump stocks illegal wouldn’t cross the Second Amendment.
Correct. The issue was that the ATF tried to do an end-run around the legal process. Somebody in there did not watch that Schoolhouse Rock song about how bills become law... All that has to happen (federally, anyway) is that Congress must pass a law prohibiting them and the president has to sign it. But that's not what happened. The ATF -- under Trump's direction, mind you -- tried unilaterally to redefine an item that is not a firearm as a regulated firearm. What is and is not a firearm (and what is and is not a "machine gun" also) is already codified into law.
You can argue for or against unelected agencies having the ability to create new regulations with the force of law behind them without involving the usual system of checks-and-balances, but specifically in the case of the ATF they have repeatedly demonstrated that they are not able to use such a privilege in good faith. They would be (and are) exceedingly likely to use it as a cudgel to play these "legal yesterday, felony today" types of games with people so give themselves excuses to kick in doors and shoot people's dogs.
Various state laws already prohibit bump stocks. My state is one of them.
I've followed it and the first paragraph is spot on. But I'd argue something doesn't have to be a firearm to be protected, see Caetano v Massachusetts. It probably would also protect other items adjacent or necessary for the intended purposes of the amendment; like some types of ammo, parts, or accessories. If bumpstocks fall into that is another question though. Reading the tea leaves it doesn't seem like it.
But, it instead enacted a statute that turns on whether a weapon can fire more than one shot “automatically . . . by a single function of the trigger.” §5845(b). And, “it is never our job to rewrite . . . statutory text under the banner of speculation about what Congress might have done.” -pg 19
because it doesn’t make the weapon fire more than one shot with a single pull of the trigger.
So if I make a device that spins and presses the trigger for me, then it's not illegal, got it.
Bump stocks allow for the trigger to be activated multiple times by a mechanjcal device with a single (human) pull of the trigger. The person is not pulling the trigger multiple times, even though the trigger is being moved multiple times.
I know the whole thing is pedantic legalese, but it is like saying mechanically activating a trigger rapidly with a motor activated with a single button press would be legal.
There is very specific wording for what is a machine gun, and a bump stock did not meet it.
Its far from specific, which is why this went so high in the courts. The wording has ambiguity in it.
Here goes another lesson we never learned
Biden needs campaign ads calling Trump out for passing unconstitutional anti-gun legislation.
Bump stocks are largely irrelevant since the invention of Hellfire Triggers:
It's essentially a "bent piece of metal". I don't see how you could control that.
Which can even be applied to pistols:
Hellfire trigger manipulator demonstration
On an unrelated note, here are clips of people bump firing pistols and M1 Garands
Some people honed a technique that does what a bump stock does without one. It's all really inaccurate obviously, but also obviously horrific for soft target crowds.
Yup, all in how loose a grip you're comfortable with.
Pass the smoked pork pls
The next mass shooting caused by one is officially “The Clarence Thomas Massacre.”
Bump stocks suck. Half of the entire gun violently shaking back and forward is just as cumbersome and impractical as it sounds. Bumping can also be done without them (sometimes accidentally, be careful).
I wonder how these arguments are going to go someday when we have weapons that can just emit a field that instantly gives people cancer or vibrates their hearts to death or erases a person's memory. The MAGAs will all argue that is their right to leave out beacons that covers a certain radius and will just run around chuckling "you triggered? you mad bro? you got sudden bone cancer or an exploded heart bro? can't remember your kids? cry more ahahaha" and Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas will say of course these are fine, erasing peoples minds and having them drop to the ground when they encounter certain frequencies are just what the founding fathers intended (but keep those things a long fucking way away from us, of course)
It wasn't a merits decision. It was about the previous administrations abuse of the executive to reclassify things that already have a statutory definition.
Actually I think these sci Fi guns would be struck down by the FCC. They are fucking serious about emitted radiation
SO the point of the militias were that the Founding Fathers believed that giving any executive access to a standing army would, eventually if not immediately, act against the rights of humans.
So instead we were supposed to have a populace ready and trained in military activity by the states' ordained and defined by Congress militias.
The 2nd was to try and stop a ruler from having access to force.
And now we have a standing military, a military-armed police, and paramilitary civilians.
Worst civilization decision evar.
We are so far from the Federalist Paper #29 argument for the 2nd Amendment; we need to amend the Constitution.
federalist 29 is like 13 paragraphs it is worth reading
Maybe that massive standing army isn't a good thing to have. A lot of the original criticisms match our current army pretty well.
The problem now is that in the modern global age we have plenty of enemies who have massive standing armies. China and Russia leap to mind. That sort of thing may have worked when America was physically isolated from outside forces by a several months long boat ride. Not the case anymore.
Abolishing everybody's massive standing armies would be a pretty good idea, but I don't foresee that happening any time soon.
So how many "gifts" have the gun lobby given them this time?
Did the truth ever come out around this shooting? The whole thing seemed very suspicious and the news story seemed to go away pretty quickly compared to other similar events.
Or I’m an ostrich and just completely missed everything to do with it.
I don't know what "truth" needs to be found. Shooter's dad was a diagnosed psychopath on the FBI most wanted list, seems like a case of apple not falling far from the tree.
I mean the rate of fire was way higher than even a bump stock would allow and the number of shots fired would have required way more magazines than was found with the guy. Largest mass shooting in history and we have no motive, no explanation, and no resolution.
This is my point. There is no motive. No explanation, nothing.
Personally, I don’t buy the “dude went crazy” story with all the preparation that he did.
I think the media waxes and wanes on their discipline about whether to give too much attention to high profile incidents, to tamp down copycats who are "inspired" by the "glory".
That said, I don't think anything was really hidden from us or you. A guy flipped out and did a horrible thing, there's probably not that much to say about it.
That's crazy... What's next, are they going to start letting us shoulder our pistols? (Asking for a friend)
the dead people tax strikes again. everyone i know who owns a human killing device is top-notch at the ridiculous rationalization required to bring said evil into their homes.
crazy overlap with the 'pro life' camp also.
The TLDR of the opinion is that they held the BATFE acted outside of statutory authority, acting as the legislature making new law with the administrative policy.
So they can approve the sales, but can't take it back?
They were found to not be machine guns per the statutory definition. So they can't arrest people for having one (unless a new law is passed). Prior to the BATFE's policy change they didn't 'approve the sales' more so they didn't bar the sales.