Over the years, Ive developed an insufferable tic that I insist on fobbing off as a bad joke. Upon encountering someone going through seriously bad timescancer diagnosis, dead dog, divorce, child gone crazyI invariably blurt out, Well other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play? In all these years, this has yet to inject a lick of levity. The punchline does not derive from the hilariously improbable notion that Mary Todd Lincolnafflicted with migraines, debilitating depression, racking physical pains, and what was likely a bipolar conditionmight actually have enjoyed anything. The play in question was Our American Cousin, which Mary Todd and her husband, Abraham Lincoln, were watching at Fords Theatre in Washington, D.C., when actor John Wilkes Booth shot and killed the president. Booth waited for the line that always got the loudest laughswhen a lovably loutish American proto-bro type calls a sniffy British dowager a sockdologizing old man-trapbefore aiming at Lincolns head and pulling the trigger. Bootha supporter of the Southern causedid notmiss.
Had Booth had at his disposal a sound suppressor for his pistol at the time, he would not have had to wait for the laughter. And Lincolns widow would not have had to ponder what a sockdologizing old man-trap was. More misogyny hiding behind humor, perhaps? If Booth had a silencer, he no doubt could have escaped. More than 150 years after the fact, another son of the SouthRepublican Congressmember Jeff Duncan from South Carolinahas introduced a bill that would have vastly improved Booths odds. Duncan is the proud author of the Hearing Protection Act, which would expedite and accelerate the sale of gun suppressorsalso known as silencersby exempting them from the additional layer of time-consuming background checks required by the National Firearms Act passed in 1934. According to Duncan, silencers are needed because shooting is notoriously hard on the hearing of those who shoot a lot. He also cites a study showing the number of violent crimes committed by people wielding silenced firearms can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Im sure theyre right about that. Theyre also right when they point outas they like to dothat more Americans are killed with hammers than by rifles. Its also beside thepoint.
Two weeks ago in Judge Brian Hills courtroom, I saw the real point during the triple-homicide trial of a man accused of killing noted Chinese herbalist Dr. Henry Han; his wife, Jennie Yu; and their 5-year-old child, Emily. Eight muffled bullets had been shot into the head of Emily and three each into the heads of her parents. Gruesome forensic photosshowing all 14 bullet entry woundswere splashed bigger than life up on the courtroom wall. This was one of those rare instances in which a silencer had, in fact, been used. The point was to help the killer get away withmurder.
Heres my point: Wearing earplugs and earmuffs significantly reduces hearing damage inflicted by shooting. It does not, however, help killers get away withmurder.
As usual, theres no shortage of grim ironies surrounding this legislation, which was supposed to have had its first committee hearing this past week. From the outset, the timing was awkward, coming on the first-year anniversary of the one-way shootout at the Orlando gay nightclub Pulse, which left 49 dead and 58 seriously wounded. The hearing was only postponed after a rage-addled Bernie Sanders supporter, James T. Hodgkinson, lit up a baseball field in Arlington, Virginia, last weekshooting rapid fire at members of the Republican congressional baseball team practicing for the big game the following night against their Democratic rivals. Just before the 66-year-old Hodgkinson began his rampage, he met none other than South Carolina Congressmember Duncan, author of the Hearing Protection Act, walking off the field. As Duncan and the shooter passed each other, Hodgkinson asked him, Excuse me, sir, whos practicing today? Democrats or Republicans? As Duncan recounted, I said, This is a Republican team, and he said, K, thanks. By the time Hodgkinson was done spraying the field, five people had been seriously wounded, including House Majority Whip SteveScalise.
The shooting has not shaken Duncans belief in the silencer bill. The gunman, Duncan observed blandly, did not use a silencer. Duncan added that Illinois, where Hodkinson is from, has some of the toughest gun control laws in the nation, yet even they failed to stop the allegedshooter.
Should the Hearing Protection Act be approved, it would repeal the outright silencer bans independently enacted by 11 states, most notably California and New York. So much for Southern conservatives passionate belief in states rights. It turns out there are roughly 1.3 million legally registered silencer owners in the United States. Should Duncans bill pass, all records of who own silencers will bedestroyed.
The Hearing Protection Act is part of a broader legislative package known euphoniously as the SHARE Actwhich stands for Sportsmens Heritage and Recreational Enhancement. Duncan is also the author of that. Included in SHARE are provisions to revoke bans on the sale of armor-piercing bullets. SHARE abolishes existing bans on the importation of elephant and polar bear body parts as big-game hunting trophies. It also contains unprecedented new protections for transporting guns and ammo across state lines. Should any law enforcement officer seek to enforce local prohibitions against certain guns or ammo being shipped through their jurisdiction, the officer could be personally sued for so doing. Thats radicalstuff.
The good news? No new date has yet been set for a hearing on the silencerbill.
So other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?
The rest is here:
Triple Homicide Collides with Second Amendment - Santa Barbara Independent
- Civics education: Learn the basics of why the Second Amendment exists - Tennessean - May 1st, 2024 [May 1st, 2024]
- The Future of the Second Amendment - Berkeley Law - April 18th, 2024 [April 18th, 2024]
- Mental Health Firearms Bill Divides Second Amendment Supporters in State House - NH Journal - April 18th, 2024 [April 18th, 2024]
- Biden Administration Unlawfully Expands Background Checks on Firearms Sales - Kevin Cramer - April 18th, 2024 [April 18th, 2024]
- The Second Amendment and 18-to-20-Year-Olds - Reason - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Chatbots like crime, hate firearms: A Second Amendment study - Washington Examiner - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- OK: Oppose H.J.R. 1034, Unless Amended! | GOA - Gun Owners of America - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Republicans blast Biden admin's 'Red Flag Operation' as one that will 'violate' Second Amendment rights - Fox News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Gordon Signed Four Second Amendment Bills, Vetoed Another - WyoToday.com - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- A new resource center in the DOJ has a lot of people worried about their Second Amendment rights - Tri-State Alert - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- 'It Has Everything to Do With Race': Protesters Clash Outside Kyle Rittenhouse Event - Yahoo News UK - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Governor signs firearm bills, vetoes bill to repeal gun-free zones - Buckrail - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- FISA and the Second Amendment: Gun Owners Beware - RealClearPolicy - February 3rd, 2024 [February 3rd, 2024]
- Second Amendment protects the rest | Commentary | norfolkdailynews.com - Norfolk Daily News - February 3rd, 2024 [February 3rd, 2024]
- Ricketts Signs Brief to Defend Gun Owners and Second Amendment - Rural Radio Network - February 3rd, 2024 [February 3rd, 2024]
- Dems bow to local control on guns then take it away | BRAUCHLER - coloradopolitics.com - February 3rd, 2024 [February 3rd, 2024]
- Augusta County Second Amendment guy wants to protect schoolkids from books? - Augusta Free Press - February 3rd, 2024 [February 3rd, 2024]
- The 2nd Amendment is not about Hunting - WIBC - Indianapolis News & Politics - October 27th, 2023 [October 27th, 2023]
- Opinion: Protecting Our Second Amendment Rights in St. Louis ... - The Missouri Times - October 27th, 2023 [October 27th, 2023]
- Statement by Vice President Kamala Harris on the Mass Shooting in ... - The White House - October 27th, 2023 [October 27th, 2023]
- Letter: Second Amendment matters more than ever - Quad-City Times - October 27th, 2023 [October 27th, 2023]
- The Supreme Court is seriously considering whether domestic ... - Vox.com - October 27th, 2023 [October 27th, 2023]
- Letter urging House Speaker to act on gun violence sent hours prior ... - Woodland Daily Democrat - October 27th, 2023 [October 27th, 2023]
- Vermont: Gun-Controllers Are Abandoning Their Rural Roots - NRA ILA - October 27th, 2023 [October 27th, 2023]
- Foundation prepares to disburse roughly $32 million in legal aid ... - The Florida Bar - October 27th, 2023 [October 27th, 2023]
- Critics Sock Sean Hannity Over His Bizarre Personal 'Plan' For Mass ... - Yahoo! Voices - October 27th, 2023 [October 27th, 2023]
- Second Amendment Roundup: Fusillade of Amicus Briefs Filed in Rahimi - Reason - October 12th, 2023 [October 12th, 2023]
- 12 Defensive Gun Uses Bare Absurdity of Attacking Gun Rights - Daily Signal - October 12th, 2023 [October 12th, 2023]
- Horrific Attack In Israel Shows Critical Importance Of Second Amendment In America | David Hookstead - Outkick - October 12th, 2023 [October 12th, 2023]
- OPINION: Second Amendment rights deserve protection - The ... - Stanly News & Press - October 12th, 2023 [October 12th, 2023]
- Noel Hudson: What, exactly, was the well-regulated militia? - VTDigger - October 12th, 2023 [October 12th, 2023]
- Berkshire residents and officials join the debate at the statehouse ... - Berkshire Eagle - October 12th, 2023 [October 12th, 2023]
- Old gun controls that were constitutionally repealed are not precedents for modern gun control - Reason - October 7th, 2023 [October 7th, 2023]
- Rahimi: The Case That Might Turn the Court Even More Extreme on Guns - The New Republic - October 7th, 2023 [October 7th, 2023]
- Second Amendment proponents fear public health emergencies ... - The Statehouse File - October 7th, 2023 [October 7th, 2023]
- UGA political groups debate the Second Amendment at political ... - Red and Black - October 7th, 2023 [October 7th, 2023]
- From the Second Amendment to OxyContin Settlements, Here Are ... - WTTW News - October 7th, 2023 [October 7th, 2023]
- Goldwater Institute Urges Supreme Court to Respect Second ... - The Creative Corner - October 7th, 2023 [October 7th, 2023]
- I carry a firearm daily. Second Amendment rights are not absolute. - Daily Kos - October 7th, 2023 [October 7th, 2023]
- Free Lecture - To Trust the People with Arms: The Supreme Court ... - Buckeye Firearms Association - October 7th, 2023 [October 7th, 2023]
- Federal Judge Enjoins Several Maryland Restrictions on Carrying ... - Reason - October 7th, 2023 [October 7th, 2023]
- Guest columnist Lee Armstrong: Taking 2nd Amendment to extremes - GazetteNET - August 26th, 2023 [August 26th, 2023]
- Analysis: ACLU Warns of Government Overreach in Second ... - The Reload - August 26th, 2023 [August 26th, 2023]
- Madison's Militia: The Hidden History of the Second Amendment, by ... - Shepherd Express - August 26th, 2023 [August 26th, 2023]
- Massachusetts Judge Rules Law Against Carrying Guns Across ... - The Reload - August 26th, 2023 [August 26th, 2023]
- It's Not Hard to Tell Good Guy From Bad Guy, as 12 More Defensive ... - Heritage.org - August 26th, 2023 [August 26th, 2023]
- NRA-ILA Files Friend of the Court Brief Urging the Eighth Circuit to ... - NRA ILA - August 26th, 2023 [August 26th, 2023]
- Panhandling ordinance amendments pass first Council vote - Mountain Xpress - August 26th, 2023 [August 26th, 2023]
- Florida's New Concealed Carry Law: What You Need to Know - Hernando Sun - August 26th, 2023 [August 26th, 2023]
- Why did PragerU lie about being approved in Texas schools? - Reckon - August 26th, 2023 [August 26th, 2023]
- No longer a cold war, the Tennessee House and Senate are not ... - News Channel 5 Nashville - August 26th, 2023 [August 26th, 2023]
- What's News, Breaking: Tuesday, August 22, 2023 - Brooklyn Daily Eagle - August 26th, 2023 [August 26th, 2023]
- Sparse turnout for gun rights rally with Kyle Rittenhouse after Michigan gun reform laws signed Michigan Advance - Michigan Advance - July 21st, 2023 [July 21st, 2023]
- Tom Huckin: A misinterpretation of the Constitution leads to disastrous consequences - Salt Lake Tribune - July 21st, 2023 [July 21st, 2023]
- Debate on Second Amendment | News, Sports, Jobs - Williamsport Sun-Gazette - July 21st, 2023 [July 21st, 2023]
- Sorry, Gov. Newsom, but Citizens Want to Use Guns to Defend ... - Heritage.org - July 21st, 2023 [July 21st, 2023]
- D-Wave Quantum Inc. Enter into the Limited Waiver and Second Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement with PSPIB Unitas Investments II Inc -... - July 21st, 2023 [July 21st, 2023]
- Federal Judge Rejects Lawsuit to Uphold Texas Suppressor Law for ... - The Texan - July 21st, 2023 [July 21st, 2023]
- Governor's Council approves all 7 of Healey's pardon ... - WBUR News - July 21st, 2023 [July 21st, 2023]
- Jonah Goldberg: Why July is the cruelest month for GOP presidential ... - The Winchester Star - July 21st, 2023 [July 21st, 2023]
- Second Amendment Roundup: U.S. Seeking Cert on Prohibited Persons % - Reason - May 30th, 2023 [May 30th, 2023]
- 2nd Amendment Quotes for Hot Topics - Everyday Power - May 30th, 2023 [May 30th, 2023]
- ICYMI: Buffalo News Editorial: Gun Laws and a More Sensible ... - ny.gov - May 30th, 2023 [May 30th, 2023]
- Opinion | Prince William needs gun-free zones - The Washington Post - May 30th, 2023 [May 30th, 2023]
- Second Federal Judge Expands Block on Biden Pistol-Brace Ban as ... - The Reload - May 30th, 2023 [May 30th, 2023]
- Editorial: Mayor's order of support for trans citizens contrasts with the ... - St. Louis Post-Dispatch - May 30th, 2023 [May 30th, 2023]
- Simple answer isn't workable - Las Vegas Sun - May 30th, 2023 [May 30th, 2023]
- DeSantis and the Road to the White House - The Media Line - May 30th, 2023 [May 30th, 2023]
- Should gun stores be allowed near schools? These parents are ... - Reckon - May 30th, 2023 [May 30th, 2023]
- Hawaii Agrees to Drop Baton Ban After Losing Court Fight - The Reload - May 30th, 2023 [May 30th, 2023]
- Demise of S.F. exaggerated. It's still a great city to visit - San Francisco Chronicle - May 30th, 2023 [May 30th, 2023]
- ESAs consult to amend technical standards on the mapping of ... - ESMA - May 30th, 2023 [May 30th, 2023]
- 'Not tools of self-defense': Ferguson makes case for Washington's ... - The Columbian - May 30th, 2023 [May 30th, 2023]
- Lawrence ODonnell Airs Old Clip of Republican Chief Justice Calling the Second Amendment a Fraud on the American Public - Mediaite - March 31st, 2023 [March 31st, 2023]
- Marshall University Prof: Cops and Vets Earn Their Second Amendment Rights Through Months of Training - The Truth About Guns - February 28th, 2023 [February 28th, 2023]
- Interpretation: The Second Amendment | Constitution Center - January 27th, 2023 [January 27th, 2023]
- Senate panel okays Tax Laws (Second Amendment) Bill: Fixed tax scheme gets nod to bring 2m retailers into tax net - The News International - December 23rd, 2022 [December 23rd, 2022]
- Gohmert: Without a change to how children are taught, 'We're going to have to get rid of the Second Amendment' - Fox News - December 18th, 2022 [December 18th, 2022]
- Minim, Inc. and Cadence Connectivity, Inc. Enter Second Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement with Silicon Valley Bank - Marketscreener.com - December 18th, 2022 [December 18th, 2022]
- Opinion: Let's talk about repealing the Second Amendment - The Connecticut Mirror - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]