Good D.C. citizens deserve to carry guns, Hatch says

WASHINGTON — Sen. Orrin Hatch says residents of Washington, D.C., should be able to pack heat legally — and has introduced legislation seeking to overturn a longtime gun ban placed by its city council.

Hatch — who twice, after death threats, had himself declared a special deputy U.S. marshal so he could carry a gun legally despite Washington's ban — introduced Tuesday what he calls the "District of Columbia Personal Protection Act."

"It is time to restore the rights of law-abiding citizens to protect themselves and to defend their families against murderous predators," Hatch, R-Utah, told the Senate.

"It is time to tell the citizens of the District of Columbia that the Second Amendment of the Constitution (guaranteeing a right to bear arms) applies to them, and not only to their fellow Americans in the rest of the country," he said.

Hatch added, "The prohibition of firearms in the District of Columbia is as ineffective and deplorable as it is unconstitutional. It is high time we rectify this wrong."

Washington has the highest murder rate in the nation, despite also having the strictest gun laws. However, nearby Maryland and Virginia have no such gun bans.

"I want to dispel unfounded myths that the way you reduce violent, gun-related crime is by prohibiting the possession of firearms," Hatch said. "I have said it before, but I will say it again, excessive regulation and the systematic erosion of the rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment do not deter violent, gun-toting criminals."

Hatch said a more effective way to deter violence is to severely punish anyone who uses a gun while committing a crime.

Hatch said his bill would clearly allow D.C. citizens to possess handguns and rifles in their homes and businesses, and repeal the registration requirements for firearms and ammunition.

Hatch said, "Unfortunately but not surprisingly, the state of affairs in the District of Columbia has highlighted exactly what those of us who care deeply about the Second Amendment of the Constitution have always feared: murderous criminals possess firearms and are free to prey upon law-abiding citizens; and law-abiding citizens — precisely because they are law-abiding citizens — may not possess a firearm in their homes to protect themselves and their families."

The bill was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which Hatch chairs.

Hatch in 1982 and again later in 1993 became a special deputy U.S. marshal to get around gun bans himself in D.C. after he had received some death threats. He said carrying a gun himself was cheaper and more effective than requesting extra protection from the U.S. Capitol Police.

The U.S. Marshals Service required Hatch to complete firearms training before it would declare him a deputy. He completed it at an FBI firing range in Quantico, Va., and at a Capitol police range.

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