When I saw the lede of this article, I was ready to rant about how the gun rights lobby is out of control, sticking gun policies in random bills in order to force liberals to choose between losing a liberal policy or voting for a gun bill.
As it turns out, this one was relevant:
Congress continues to do the gun lobby’s lethal bidding, delivering a bipartisan boost in a House committee to a reckless proposal that would allow residents of public housing projects to keep guns in their homes. The measure would endanger projects in major cities that have adopted the common sense precaution of declaring public housing to be no-gun zones.
The gun amendment was perversely attached to a much-needed measure widening access to Section 8 subsidized housing for families hard pressed in the current recession. Why these families should be forced to face this latest duck-and-cover mischief from the gun lobby is incomprehensible. Nevertheless, the gun amendment was approved 38 to 31 in the House Financial Services Committee, with 13 Democrats once more opting for the gun lobby’s zealotry over the cause of public safety.
The bill is one addressing policies of section 8 public housing. The gun rights issue is specific to those in section 8 public housing. This makes it an appropriate place to have the discussion.
Whether you feel the right to own a gun is a risk to public safety or a benefit to it, the federal right to own a gun has been upheld in the Supreme Court. One does not hand over their Second Amendment rights just because they accept public housing. Considering public housing is often a magnet of crime, one might think those living in that situation would be most in need of a weapon in self defense.
