Gun control advocates urge dismissal of Md. handgun permit lawsuit

[jpak]

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/blog/2011/03/gun_control_advocates_urge_dis.html

A national gun control advocacy group on Tuesday weighed in on a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Maryland’s handgun permitting laws, saying the suit seeks to make the state’s gun laws like those in Arizona and would be “bad law and even worse policy.”

In an amicus brief, the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence urges for the dismissal of a lawsuit brought last year by the Second Amendment Foundation on behalf of Hampstead resident Raymond Woolland, a Navy veteran who was denied a renewal of his handgun permit.

Brady Center President Paul Helmke said in a statement that Maryland has “wisely rejected the gun lobby’s agenda of ‘any gun, anywhere for anybody.’ Now the gun pushers want the courts to gut Maryland’s laws and let virtually anyone carry a hidden handgun in public.”

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court by the Washington-based Second Amendment Foundation, which successfully has challenged weapons laws in Chicago and the District of Columbia. It challenges a Maryland law that grants permits to carry a handgun only to those who show, among other things, that they could be in danger.

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[rl6214]

1. Of course Helmke would say this

I wouldn't exect anything different. Not surprising he's got to be snarky with the "gun pushers" comment.

[catenary]

2. I'm fairly sure we all know Helmke is a GOP rightwing nutjob

so no surprises here...

[Bold Lib]

3. Paul Helmke = GOP hack. yup

yup

yup

yup

[rl6214]

4. So you admit he's a hack?

YUP

YUP

YUP

[PavePusher]

5. If you are going to "quote", you need to mark your editorial edits.

Anything else is dishonest and corrupt.

[rl6214]

7. Do you expect anything different?

NOPE

NOPE

NOPE

[X_Digger]

6. Ahh, Maryland..

Where the only permit they honor from out of state is armored car drivers. Protecting other people's money? Sure, carry a gun. Protecting your life? Fuggedaboudit.

In state? You have to be a doctor or a pharmacist, a former cop, a PI, correctional officer, or make large bank deposits (again, protecting most likely someone else's money.)

Of course, the other category of folks who routinely get permits? Those who make donations to the sheriff's re-election campaign and politicians.

How's that working for ya, MD? Oh wait, Baltimore is a murder-ridden city (37 per 100,000 -- national average is 4.2 per 100,000).

[VoteProgressive]

8. The bad guys have them the good guys need them! nt

[PavePusher]

9. Apparent copyright violations have been brought to the attention of the moderators.

Not sure how that is handled, we'll see.