David Codrea is a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament.
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One thought on “One More for the Road?”
On one hand, no, this does not jive with original intent or “text, history, and tradition.”
On the other hand, the opening line seems a bit … hyperbolic. DUIs are not routine “traffic offenses,” like failing to stop at a stop sign, or speeding, or changing lanes without signalling. Legally, DUIs are usually misdemeanors (unless someone gets hurt or killed, then they’re felonies). A lot of states that still issue CCW permits/licenses will deny applications for people with recent misdemeanor offenses. In Washington it’s apparently 5 years. In Oregon it’s 4.
That said, I don’t know how the Washington law is written. If it DOES mandate denying CCW permit issuance to people with routine traffic offenses (speeding, failing to stop, failing to signal, etc.), then I agree, it’s a pretty clear violation of 2A, and a pity we couldn’t challenge it with more sympathetic plaintiffs than DUI offenders (because while normal people can find pity for someone speeding, nobody likes drunk drivers).
But I maintain, a DUI is not a “traffic offense” on the same level as a citable violation, and if the law specifies two DUIs in seven years mandating a temporary hold on CCW issuance, that’s a slightly different animal. (Or if DUI is actually a statutory misdemeanor in WA state, and the law says to deny someone with two misdemeanors in seven years. Again, very different legal situation than the opening line.)
The anti-2A crowd makes its living by fomenting outrage with lies and exaggerations. We don’t need our people doing it, too.
On one hand, no, this does not jive with original intent or “text, history, and tradition.”
On the other hand, the opening line seems a bit … hyperbolic. DUIs are not routine “traffic offenses,” like failing to stop at a stop sign, or speeding, or changing lanes without signalling. Legally, DUIs are usually misdemeanors (unless someone gets hurt or killed, then they’re felonies). A lot of states that still issue CCW permits/licenses will deny applications for people with recent misdemeanor offenses. In Washington it’s apparently 5 years. In Oregon it’s 4.
That said, I don’t know how the Washington law is written. If it DOES mandate denying CCW permit issuance to people with routine traffic offenses (speeding, failing to stop, failing to signal, etc.), then I agree, it’s a pretty clear violation of 2A, and a pity we couldn’t challenge it with more sympathetic plaintiffs than DUI offenders (because while normal people can find pity for someone speeding, nobody likes drunk drivers).
But I maintain, a DUI is not a “traffic offense” on the same level as a citable violation, and if the law specifies two DUIs in seven years mandating a temporary hold on CCW issuance, that’s a slightly different animal. (Or if DUI is actually a statutory misdemeanor in WA state, and the law says to deny someone with two misdemeanors in seven years. Again, very different legal situation than the opening line.)
The anti-2A crowd makes its living by fomenting outrage with lies and exaggerations. We don’t need our people doing it, too.