LOS ANGELES (AP) — A new California law that bans people from carrying firearms in most public places was once again blocked from taking effect Saturday as a court case challenging it continues.
A 9th Circuit Court of Appeals panel dissolved a temporary hold on a lower court injunction blocking the law. The hold was issued by a different 9th Circuit panel and had allowed the law to go into effect Jan. 1.
Saturday’s decision keeps in place a Dec. 20 ruling by U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney blocking the law. Carney said that it violates the Second Amendment and that gun rights groups would likely prevail in proving it unconstitutional.
The law, signed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, prohibits people from carrying concealed guns in 26 types of places including public parks and playgrounds, churches, banks and zoos. The ban applies regardless of whether a person has a concealed carry permit.
Self defense is a weak argument as historically you had a duty to retreat outside of your home. People who claim they want to carry a gun for self defense just want to shoot someone and get away with it.
Defensive uses of firearms far outweigh offensive ones in the US. Rejecting self defense as valid actively hurts women, minorities and the disabled. There was actually a magic time when there were no firearms in the world. It was called the Dark Ages and the largest and strongest few committed nonstop atrocities against those that were weaker. We are living in the most peaceful time in history with more guns than ever.