On Wednesday afternoon at Union Station in Washington, D.C., a bicycle tire exploded. Some people were scared. Naturally, according to one self-described "lefty," this is proof that we need more gun laws.
At Union Station in DC. Just fled the building w 100s of others bc we thought we heard gunshots—it was a bicycle tire. PLEASE PASS GUN LAWS.
— Eva Colen (@evacolen) June 22, 2016
A sampling of some of D.C.'s gun laws:
- A person cannot possess a magazine that holds more than ten rounds.
- Firearms must be registered with the police department.
- There are no gun stores in D.C.
- Assault weapons are prohibited.
- A license is needed own a firearm.
- Open carry is not allowed.
- Automatic weapons are prohibited.
- Concealed carry permits are technically legal, but very few are actually approved.
- There is no reciprocity with states who issue concealed carry permits.
- A person cannot posses ammunition without a gun permit, including spent ammunition casings.
- A person cannot carry a gun with 100 feet of any school, daycare, playground, or public pool.
What, pray tell, short of a complete ban on handguns (which was actually the law in D.C. prior to 2008 Supreme Court decision in the case D.C. vs. Heller), could the District possibly do to increase gun control?
She then tried to clarify her tweet:
For those who struggle w logic: Americans should feel safe in public spaces. If you travel by train, you know how easy a shooting would be.
— Eva Colen (@evacolen) June 22, 2016
Which would make sense, if guns weren't already prohibited on Amtrak trains except as declared and checked baggage. A person cannot carry a weapon onto a train.
This is also a sign that Americans, regardless of their thoughts on guns, need more education about them. An exploding bike tire and a gunshot are two very different noises. And for heaven's sake, don't use D.C. as an example of a place with lax gun laws.