July 15, 2008, 11:21 am

Unlike many libertarians, I don't blog about gun rights much. Some think this odd, but in my mind this is like saying it is odd that a female blogger doesn't blog much about abortion. I have always thought it was pretty clear that the 2nd amendment protects an individual right to bear arms, but it's just not a subject for which I have much passion *shrug*

However, I did find this hilarious. Megan McArdle passes on the District of Columbia's petulant response to the Heller decision:

Here's what they're proposing: * Allowing an exception for handgun ownership for self-defense use inside the home.



* If you want to keep a handgun in your home, the MPD will have to

perform ballistic testing on it before it can be legally registered. * There will be a limit to one handgun per person for the first 90 days after the legislation becomes law. * Firearms in the home must be stored unloaded and disassembled, and

secured with either a trigger lock, gun safe, or similar device. The

new law will allow an exception for a firearm while it is being used

against an intruder in the home. * Residents who legally register handguns in the District will not

be required to have licenses to carry them inside their own homes.

OK, so I can have a handgun in the home solely for self-defense, but this self-defense weapon must be stored unloaded, disassembled, and locked. The only time it can be unlocked and assembled and loaded is "while it is being used against an intruder". Jeez. In the time it would take to unlock, assemble, and load the gun, I could probably build some McGyver device out of dental floss, a TV remote, and a couple of Thin Mint Girls Scout Cookies to just blow them up.

Postscript: I have never been that confident in my ability with a handgun. TV portrayals notwithstanding, I find them very difficult to handle accurately, and they require a lot of practice which most casual owners don't pursue. In my case, I find this a more realistic home defense weapon.