Should a misdemeanor conviction strip a person of a basic human right forever?
Natural Law tells us we all have the right to defend ourselves from harmful aggression. As technology has developed, the firearm has become the tool of choice of both the criminal and citizen. Without the right to a gun, the citizen is at a great disadvantage in an encounter with the criminal. The Lautenberg Amendment has stripped many citizens of this basic human right. Last week, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling on Lautenberg (PDF file HERE), which could have a far-reaching positive effect on gun rights. Ironically, this is the same court that earlier ruled against gun rights in McDonald v Chicago, which is now on the way to a Supreme Court decision next spring. In this more recent case, Steven M. Skoien had been convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence. Some time later, he was found to be in possession of a Winchester 12 gauge shotgun. As a result he was prosecuted under Lautenberg. There are two problems with the Lautenberg Amendment. One, this law , passed du
