x-posted to Guns
Hey, remember HR5013 and S2599, the legislation that says you can't have your guns taken away just because it's an emergency? Well, the text is kinda interesting, too. I won't post it all here, since you can read HR5013 and S2599 at thomas.loc.gov ...
But there's a little more to it than meets the eye.
It roundly condemns as unconstitutional the unlawful seizure of firearms ( :D !!) that happened in LA, in violation of the 2nd and 4th amendments to the US Constitution, named specifically therein.
I like this part:
These confiscations and prohibitions, and the means by which they were carried out, deprived the citizens of Louisiana not only of their right to keep and bear arms, but also of their rights to personal security, personal liberty, and private property, all in violation of the Constitution and laws of the United States.
But it ALSO says, later on down the line, that if you're an emergency relief worker, you're not allowed to be turned away just because you're armed. See:
No officer or employee of the United States (including any member of the uniformed services), person operating pursuant to or under color of Federal law, receiving Federal funds, under the control of any Federal official, or providing services to such an officer, employee, or other person, while acting in support of relief from a major disaster or emergency, may--
`(4) prohibit the carrying of a firearm by any person otherwise authorized to carry firearms under Federal or State law, solely because such person is operating under the direction, control, or supervision of a Federal agency in support of relief from a major disaster or emergency.
This is relevant to me, because I'm the Emergency Coordinator for the Okaloosa branch of ARES (the Amateur Radio Emergency Service), and, as we're based in the Florida panhandle, we operate in support of disasters quite a bit; every so often, we go unsavory places, and it's good to know that we'll be able to protect ourselves.
But there's a little more to it than meets the eye.
It roundly condemns as unconstitutional the unlawful seizure of firearms ( :D !!) that happened in LA, in violation of the 2nd and 4th amendments to the US Constitution, named specifically therein.
I like this part:
These confiscations and prohibitions, and the means by which they were carried out, deprived the citizens of Louisiana not only of their right to keep and bear arms, but also of their rights to personal security, personal liberty, and private property, all in violation of the Constitution and laws of the United States.
But it ALSO says, later on down the line, that if you're an emergency relief worker, you're not allowed to be turned away just because you're armed. See:
No officer or employee of the United States (including any member of the uniformed services), person operating pursuant to or under color of Federal law, receiving Federal funds, under the control of any Federal official, or providing services to such an officer, employee, or other person, while acting in support of relief from a major disaster or emergency, may--
`(4) prohibit the carrying of a firearm by any person otherwise authorized to carry firearms under Federal or State law, solely because such person is operating under the direction, control, or supervision of a Federal agency in support of relief from a major disaster or emergency.
This is relevant to me, because I'm the Emergency Coordinator for the Okaloosa branch of ARES (the Amateur Radio Emergency Service), and, as we're based in the Florida panhandle, we operate in support of disasters quite a bit; every so often, we go unsavory places, and it's good to know that we'll be able to protect ourselves.