The DC police chief is an idiot and makes me wonder how a moron could get such a high ranking post in a city.

Semi-automatic guns are NOT the same as FULLY automatic. Semi-automatic simply means that once a shot is fired, you don't need to manually reload another round into the chamber of the handgun. Just about every handgun out there is considered semi-automatic because of that fact. The police chief CANNOT restrict semi-automatics as the Supreme Court JUST STATED YESTERDAY.

You would think a Chief of Police would at least tell the truth about what has occured. The Supreme Court has affirmed that "we the people" not a handful of elected elite politicians who look at we the poeple with contempt, our 2nd amendment rights to any firearm we so desire. The right to keep and bear arms does not mean only handguns as this so called Chief would lead you to believe. What is always strange is that will all the gun laws on the books in DC I doubt very much that any more laws would cause criminals abide by them, gun laws are designed to restrain law abiding tax paying citizens from having arms and all the laws in the world will not stop criminals, as DC laws show, having the highest gun crime and the most draconian gun laws in the nation. Thank god our court took the position as local police and elected officials try and erode our consitutional rights, get on line and get your gun!

"Second, automatic and semiautomatic handguns generally remain illegal and may not be registered."

I guess now we have to debate what "handgun" means. If they don't allow magazine fed semiautomatic handguns, they're opening themselves up to another court loss.

It does not seem to me that Chief Lanier is "comply[ing] with the Court's reading of the Second Amendment in its letter and spirit" when she declares ".. semiautomatic handguns generally remain illegal and may not be registered." So now only revolvers or single-shot pistols are OK? That is not the "Spirit" of the law that Justice Scalia has penned in the Court's opinion.

Please read for yourself here:

http://www.nraila.org/media/PDFs/HellerOpinion.pdf

I am sure we'll see a lot of this type of behavior from the anti-firearm/liberty people in the future. I hope follow-up action by the NRA and the grassroots voting public sent them straight.

The DC Chief of Police does not make law. Therefore her opinion on safe storage is invalid. The Supreme Ct invalidated the safe storage laws of DC and said the gun must be in operable stance. That means loaded if the owner so desires. No trigger locks required. People can choose to have it unloaded, in locked cases and no triggers locks. It is now their choice not the Chief of Police.

The prohibition of semi- automatic is disallowing an entire class if handguns and probably should be struck down or the law rewritten. I guess DC has not learned that the 2A means what its says ..." the right of the people to keep and bear arms will not be infringed"

Carry provisions were explicitly stated in the decision so open carry has to be allowed. DC may maintain CCW prohibitions enacted by Congress in the 1800's. But open carry has to be allowed in order to transport or for self defense.

The continued suppression of our rights to legally own firearms by the politcos is the same ignorant view that DC suffers under the "Taxation without Represtentation" mantra. How will one protect his or her home and family with a firearm, "kept either unloaded and disassembled or locked"? The bad guys don't lock and disassemle thier guns...

Who wrote this memo for the police chief? No semi-automatic handguns? That won't hold in a legal challenge and the police chief knows it. That begs the question of when these people that knowingly make bad laws that will fail after a costly (to the tax payer) legal challenge will be held personally accountable for the costs.

What a moron. Imagine that; a policeman unwilling to obey the law. We have a word for people like that in the South. Think of the henhouse floor.
God, I hope they prosecute this sleazeball.

We will vote them all out. This is a new morning for Washington, DC. I am excited and energized.

So, only revolvers are Constitutional in the District? Seems like that's an infringement too...

The Chief herself carries a semi-automatic pistol and yet does not trust the honest citiznes of "her" city to have the same in their homes. Her safety matters but no one else's does. The day the MPD limits its officers to revolvers with trigger locks and the day the Mayor's goes without armed security, that day, they can pretend they are not hypocrites. Today they should obey the Constitution or pay the legal bills of another loss in court themselves. Let freedom ring.

Cathy is obviously not too swift. I enjoy many firearms but a good old .357 is a very fine tool. I guess it would not bother her if I bought nice hardware like this:

http://www.smith-wesson.com/wcsstore/SmWesson/upload/images/firearms/170269a_lrg.jpg

I have never understood why people think some types of guns should be banned. Different guns for different purposes. I am glad I shoot in Vermont without stupid legislators.

Sorry Cathy but you can't write your own laws, right to bare arms means the right to bare arms, and the law doesn't state what type ....just arms so suck it up!

Once again, Someone has to "interpret" and try and force their beliefs upon the population aka the "I know whats best for you" disorder

Dissension has to be growing amongst her own officers regarding following the ruling of the supreme court and her personal interpretations, and the will of the "beat" officers.

All I have to say is what a pupet.

I'm sure if the Supreme Court ruled that all firearms are illegal, this elitist would THEN agree with the outcome and DEMAND citizens to obey with the new law. Typical though, it did not go her way, so she will not comply with the law. This goes for the rest of the elitists out there...we all know who they are!

Chief Lanier needs to read the Supreme Court decision. It refers to "handguns" and "firearms" and then look up the definition of each. Semi-automatic pistols are always referred to as handguns. they certainly are not long guns or shotguns. This lady as a constitutional officer is in denial and needs to uphold the law as interpeted by the Supreme Court. She is attempting to make her own laws instead of obeying the law as stated by the Supreme Court. Hopefully her opinion will soon be challenged in a court of law.

"I will comply with the Court's reading of the Second Amendment in its letter and spirit."

This is a lie proven by her previous statements in the memo.

Can the U.S. Supreme Court hold all who violate its rulings in contempt? Most of D.C. government should be in a federal holding cell right now.

a.. Second, automatic and semiautomatic handguns generally remain illegal and may not be registered.

FIND THAT IN THE OPINION; I's a bare faced lie

Lastly, although the Court struck the safe storage provision on the ground that it was too broadly written, in my opinion firearms in the home should be kept either unloaded and disassembled or locked.

In my opinion,you should focus on criminals and leave law-abiding citizens alone.

I will comply with the Court's reading of the Second Amendment in its letter and spirit.

Another lie - you are twisting the words and fashioning from whole cloth what is not in the opinion.

I will also continue to find additional ways to protect the District's residents against the scourge of gun violence.

Right - except for cracking down on criminals - the very source of of the dictrict's source of gun violence.

Admit it - you aren't the only one who can have a gun to defend yourself.

I want my gun! When can I buy my legal gun? Why can someone who bought a handgun before it was legal now register it under the amnesty, but I, a person who DIDN'T break the law, have to wait until they figure out a way for me to legally buy one? Why don't they just let me go to Maryland now, and buy my Constitutionally protected handgun? And that obviously includes semiautomatics too!!!

I wish we would work on the real problems in this country. Like real punishment for crimes, and education for public officals and the public, that people are the problem not objects like guns. We can't keep taking away our freedoms and constutional rights that makes this the greatest place in the world to live.(We the people) can not be allowed to be manipulated for political, personal gain, or beliefs.

The DC Chief of Police should be slapped down on her butt for giving the middle finger to the Supreme Court.

Who gave her this job

The Constitution as a whole, and the Second Amendment were written to protect us (we the people) from tyrannical governments as well as from attacks on our persons. According to Webster's Online Dictionary a tyrant is: "a: an absolute ruler unrestrained by law or constitution b: a usurper of sovereignty". Perhaps they should include a picture of Chief Lanier with the definition.

"There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. When there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws." -Ayn Rand

Here tyranny is under the color of law. She wants more criminals because it is easier to rule them, and because there aren't enough criminals according to that view, they have made it a crime to even be capable of defending yourself in DC. Mind you this person wanted to go forcibly go door to door searching for weapons. I guess the 4th amendment isn't an individual right either. I wonder, will the entire Bill of Rights be regulated away, or just the even numbered amendments?

Foolish gun owners. Don't you realize that you are at 2.7 times greater risk by keeping a gun in the home. You are 21 percent more likely to be killed by someone they know because of arguments or love triangles with their own guns in their own home.

What most commentators fail to note is that D.C. has a law which defines "machinegun" as any firearm which can be fired (or modified to fire) 12 or more times without manually reloading. Thus all semi-automatic pistols for which there exists on the face of the earth a magazine which holds 11 or more rounds IS A MACHINEGUN under D.C. law. They are not handguns. THis is one that will have to be worked out in the courts, but it takes years to get something to the Supremes. Only in my dreams would the Supreme Court take the inititiative to rebuke the city for these attempts to evade the ruling.

Remember how the Liberals always referred to the Evil "hand gun"? Now they want to call them "Semi-Automatics"! How much of the taxpayers money can the blow through continually fighting this ruling? Should be interesting.

Let's hope the chief and the rest of the government officials "stand their ground" and "dig in their heels" to retain their illegal restrictions.

Then another case will go back to the Supreme Couort and they will open the ruling and clarify semi-autos are NOT full-autos and therefore NOT prohibited. That will eliminate the ridiculus AWB we will face in the near future.

And maybe they will need to widen the ruling to allow possession outside the home (in one's own yard is technically still prohibited) and maybe in one's car or on one's person will be determined NOT prohibited.

Keep at it DC! Press the issue! Continue to enforce unconstitutional laws and give the Supreme Court a chance to open the ruling even more!

Whats this pinhead return email address

Does anyone know exactly what model hand gun the security officer who this case was about carried? I'd be willing to bet it was a semi-automatic hand gun that is exactly what they are saying is still illegal. If it is a semi-automatic how can it be illegal after this case?

Ah, so now The Washington Post, itself,
that paradigm of free speech, asserts
in its vast wisdom its authority to
censor these pro-2nd amendment, anti-
DC govt views? One hopes not.

Shameful. I will look forward, in vain I know, for an apology to the citizens whose rights she just insulted.

Washington, DC Chief of Police Contact Info:

Email: Cathy.Lanier@dc.gov
Phone: 202 727.4218
Fax: 202 727.9524
Mailing Address:
Chief of Police
Cathy Lanier
300 Indiana Ave., NW
Room 5080
Washington, DC 20001

"Foolish gun owners. Don't you realize that you are at 2.7 times greater risk by keeping a gun in the home. You are 21 percent more likely to be killed by someone they know because of arguments or love triangles with their own guns in their own home."

Those are lies. They are statements based on bad research that has been thorougly debunked. Educate yourself. Don't just re-run lies that have been disproven simply because they support your otherwise indefensible positions.

Cathy Lanier, (MPD)

As someone who is suppose to "defend" the rights of American citizens, and I can speak from 23 years of service to our Great Nation and "all" its citizens. You should want responsible American citizens to be able to defend themselves in their own home. In almost every state that has enacted the "Conceal Carry" permit, kills and muggings have gone down, because the criminal doesn't know who is or isn't carrying.

But to not even allow citizens to own and have a "legal" gun in their home to defend them selves when the criminal has an arsenal, is down right UN-human and UN-American. Taking away handguns from decent citizens is not "additional ways to protect the District's residents against the scourge of gun violence"
It is helping the criminal, as he/she knows they are easy pickings.

After reading your "Memo" to the residents of D.C. I would hope you are removed from office soon..

Frank Branch
MSgt USMC (Ret)

i intend on carrying a firearm until im not physically or mentally capable im retired nypd have owned and carried a firearm for 30 years knock on wood never had to discharge it except at the range i comply with all safety,training,and laws governing firearms for example as per house resolution hr 218 july 2005 passed by president bush im in full compliance ie:ive taken three hr 218 firearm courses in addition to my annual required eight hour ny state course.comm wealth pa act 235 class,and most recently state of utah 8 hr course disagree with your stand

I feel sorry for those in DC. Your police chief doesn't even understand law or the difference in semi and full-auto guns.

Move!