Look, I've been in this business long enough to know that anti-gunners will grab any excuse to strip away our right to self-defense. They claim they support self-defense, mind you, but then they turn around and tell you exactly what tools you're "allowed" to use. Can't have too much ammo. Can't have the wrong rifle. And apparently in New York City, you can't even carry a stun gun.
That's right - the Big Apple has banned stun guns outright. Meanwhile, millions of Americans across the country use these things without issue. It's one of the most common less-lethal self-defense options out there. But not in NYC, where apparently they'd rather you be a martial arts master than have any practical means of protecting yourself.
Now the Second Amendment Foundation has filed a petition with the Supreme Court to take up this ridiculous case, Calce v. City of New York. They're joined by the Firearms Policy Coalition and five individual plaintiffs who've had enough.
As SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut put it: the fact that residents of NYC can't decide for themselves whether to use a stun gun or taser for self-defense "borders on the ridiculous." He's right. These lawmakers are telling citizens they have a right to defend themselves, then ban every tool that might actually help them do it. It's contempt for ordinary people dressed up as concern for public safety.
Let's be clear about what NYC has done: they've restricted knives, limited pepper spray, capped magazine capacities, and even banned body armor. You basically have to be Chuck Norris to satisfy their idea of acceptable self-defense - and apparently he needs to be naturally bulletproof too.
The petition makes an important point: the Second Amendment protects "arms," and that word isn't limited to firearms. Non-lethal electronic arms are absolutely arms under the Constitution. Courts across the country have struck down similar bans, but New York keeps fighting anyway.
This case has been dragging on for five years. It's time for the Supreme Court to step in and shut this down hard. The residents of New York City deserve the same right to choose their self-defense tools as everyone else in this country. That's what freedom looks like.
If SCOTUS takes this up, I like our chances. But we need to stay loud about it.