Wish I'd Written This

A letter to the editor in Wednesday's Washington Post:

Considering the Supreme Court's broad decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, I'm surprised that The Post would continue to raise the tired old canard of home rule ["Trigger-Happy on the Hill," editorial, July 25].

Last month, the Supreme Court affirmed that Americans have an individual right under the Second Amendment to keep and bear arms.

Just as with the First Amendment, it matters not a whit whether we reside in the state of Indiana or the District of Columbia. We are protected by the same Bill of Rights.

Sadly, since the announcement of the Heller decision, we have seen the D.C. Council continue to thumb its nose at the Constitution and defy a clear Supreme Court order by largely maintaining its draconian handgun ban.

Moreover, when Congress chose to delegate home rule to the District in the 1970s, it specified that legislation enacted by the District must be "consistent with the Constitution of the United States," and it "reserve[d] the right, at any time, to exercise its constitutional authority as legislature for the District, by enacting legislation for the District on any subject."

The time is now for Congress to step in to protect the rights of law-abiding Americans.

I am so annoyed by the DC Council that I haven't been able to write a post decrying the decision. I've lived in DC for 28 years--and for the first time, am considering moving to the suburbs.