Mayor Anthony A. Williams: An Attack on D.C. Residents

When the leadership of the House of Representatives announced plans to vote on legislation repealing the District of Columbia's gun control laws, many in the District reacted with anger and disbelief. In the aftermath, however, one additional thought nagged: Are the bill's supporters in Congress willing to apply the same standards to the sidewalks of Capitol Hill that they would impose on the District? Or, to put a more practical twist to it, would Congress, in the midst of terrorism alerts, allow people to openly carry unlocked and loaded semiautomatic rifles across Capitol Hill without a permit? Of course, Capitol Hill is exempt from some D.C. laws, and would be from this one too if it passed. But I raise this question in all sincerity. The cynically packaged District of Columbia Personal Protection Act, which is co-sponsored by a majority of the House members, should be regarded as more than just another playful election-year ruse. It is an attack on home rule and on representative democracy for District of Columbia residents. [more