Now Playing at Reason.tv: Doherty on DC Gun Case

On Tuesday, March 18, the United States Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in District of Columbia v. Heller, the first major gun-rights case to be decided by the Court since the 1930s.

Heller deals with Washington, D.C.'s ultra-restrictive gun control laws, which have been in place since 1976. reason Senior Editor Brian Doherty, author of This Is Burning Man: The Rise of a New American Underground and Radicals for Capitalism: A Freewheeling History of the Modern Libertarian Movement, is writing a book about the case and its ramifications; the volume will be released later this year by Cato Books.

Last week, Doherty gave reason.tv a quick rundown of his project. Click below to check out the video.

Comments

Other Matt | March 17, 2008, 5:17pm | #

Ye gods!!! Brian says that the roots of gun control are those of Jim Crow laws! Cue joe with a bunch of meaningless bullshit accusing Brian of racism for even intimating such, and how it's really not that he's a caucasian-skin color loathing white boy from the north. Really, it's not, the problem is all someone else, always, really.

It will be interesting as a predictive book how he does in regards to outcome, though I hope it arrives at the outcome he mentions.

Walter Sobchak | March 17, 2008, 6:42pm | #

Also, Dude, weapon is not the preferred nomenclature. Gun, please.

[The former having the legal definition of an implement used offensively in the commission of a crime.]

Mike Laursen | March 17, 2008, 7:54pm | #

No joe. There's like 22 new Hit & Run posts today. I don't think even joe can keep up with that.

The Wine Commonsewer | March 18, 2008, 12:48am | #

Brian, I had no idea, that's way cool.

Have to say, though, it's an ill wind and I don't see a silver lining. Very worried about the outcome of this case.

Stephen Gordon | March 18, 2008, 2:28am | #

Worried about the outcome on this one, too.

Been spending a lot of time around NRA board member Bob Barr lately. I'd describe his "insider" positioning as cautiously optimistic.

LarryA | March 18, 2008, 10:10am | #

Nine AM CDT. For better or worse, it's started.

The Wine Commonsewer | March 18, 2008, 10:32am | #

Thanks, Stephen, I'd describe my position as hopefully pessimistic. But then, I'm a glass-half-empty guy hoping that there is still more wine in the bottle.

JLM | March 18, 2008, 11:27am | #

The scotus blog is having a live blog starting shortly.

http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/

Danny | March 18, 2008, 12:51pm | #

Doherty doesn't have a chin. Anybody else disturbed?

Will Wilkinson | March 18, 2008, 3:11pm | #

Isn't Brian standing near the spot where Hinckley shot Reagan and James Brady?

Brian Sorgatz | March 18, 2008, 3:32pm | #

Doherty doesn't have a chin. Anybody else disturbed?

If only it were legal to pay people to donate chins, Jay Leno would have an incentive to help him out.

Brian Sorgatz | March 18, 2008, 3:35pm | #

A chinless stand-up comic talked about dating a girl with no neck. He asked her, "Wanna neck?" She replied, "Sure. Want a chin?"