Second Amendment Enforcement Act; By: Travis Russell

Second Amendment Enforcement Act
On April 28, 2010 Senators John McCain and Jon Tester introduced the Second Amendment Enforcement Act. The National Rifle Association (NRA) drafted the bill and intended for it to repeal the public safety laws enacted by the District of Columbia due to the Supreme Court’s decision in the D.C. v. Heller case. The Heller case called for strict gun control in federal enclave areas such as Washington D.C. Some restrictions on gun control were the type of gun one could own and where/how they had to store it in their own house. These rules only applied to residents of the District of Columbia; a person who lived in Washington D.C. could not buy any type of automatic or semi-automatic weapon.
The Second Amendment Enforcement Act would legalize certain weapons; repeal the District’s licensing and registration system; allow certain criminals (without a felony charge on their record) to purchase firearms; and prevent the council from tampering with gun-related laws in the future. Basically, the Second Amendment Enforcement Act would restore the right of self-defense to everyone, no matter where a person lives. Because of the Second Amendment Enforcement Act residents of the District of Columbia can now purchase semi-automatic weapons. For obvious reasons, certain assault weapons still remain illegal to purchase. States such as California, Maryland, and Massachusetts have similar laws concerning assault weapons and these laws have been in place for a significant amount of time.
Another restriction that remains in effect today is the way one must store a gun if they live with a minor. A person who lives with a minor and owns a firearm must keep the firearm in a securely locked location or keep the firearm within a proximity that allows them to easily retrieve it. This way of storing firearms does not conflict with a person’s ability to use a firearm for self defense and it also keeps minors from hurting themselves accidentally.
Washington D.C.’s current firearm laws outlined by the Second Amendment Enforcement Act were recently deemed constitutional. This is because none of the restrictions affect a resident’s right to self-protection. The reason firearm laws are such a heated topic in the District of Columbia is because it is our nation’s capitol and lawmakers want to do everything they can to keep our leaders safe. Fortunately the lawmakers finally found a way to balance the safety of our capitol safe and satisfy people’s rights to self-protection.