NRA Sues San Francisco over Magazine Ban

KTVU, a local TV station, decided to cover the NRA's decision to file suit against San Francisco over their recently-signed ban on magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds. This local law ignores the State-level grandfathering of all 10+ round magazines owned before 2000, requiring their owners to dispose of them without compensation before December 8, 2013.

There's some comedy gold in this article, but it also provides a nice update at the end regarding several of the current lawsuits that the NRA is leading here in California: 

http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/nra-challenges-city-ammunition-law-behalf-local-re/nbyN5/

For example, there's this gem of a statement:

"The bullet dispensers can be used with machine guns, semi-automatic rifles and some semi-automatic handguns."

Yes, "bullet dispensers." And they're interchangeable, too! Just stick 'em in whatever machine gun you've got lying around—and I'm sure you have plenty of machine guns in your possession, right? But apparently they're only useable in some semi-automatic handguns; I guess they think other semi-automatic handguns use cylinders?

 Or how about this one:

"The lawsuit cites a landmark 2008 U.S. Supreme Court decision in which the high court said the constitutional right to bear arms applies to individuals as well as state militias." 

Ah, yes, KTVU can't seem to let go of the old "the Second Amendment only applies to militias, not people" belief. (So tell me, just what exactly is a militia made up of, if not people?)

But, more importantly, here's the quick update on current lawsuits:

"In another gun rights case, the NRA has asked a federal appeals court to strike down two other San Francisco laws that regulate gun possession and ammunition sales.

 

"One measure requires gun owners other than peace officers to keep their weapons in a locked container or use trigger lock devices when they are not carrying the guns. The other prohibits gun shops in the city from selling dangerous ammunition, such as fragmenting bullets, that serves no sporting purpose.

 

"The NRA and the San Francisco Veteran Police Officers Association challenged those laws in a 2009 lawsuit. They appealed to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg of San Francisco declined to grant a preliminary injunction in 2012. 

A three-judge panel of the circuit court heard arguments on the appeal in San Francisco on Oct. 7 and now has the case under consideration."

Let me add an obligatory note of clarification: the ban on "fragmenting bullets" is actually a ban on the sale (but not possession) of hollow-point ammo (SPPC section 613.10(g).) As we all know, hollow-point bullets don't intentionally fragment; they're designed to expand upon impact. It appears the San Francisco doesn't want to allow its citizens to protect themselves with the same bullet technology that their own police force uses. Like the Trix cereal rabbit used to hear, "Silly citizen, self defense is for police!"