# Maryland gun law found unconstitutional **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 5, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maryland-gun-law-found-unconstitutional/614848 "2012-03-05T19:45:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2012, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maryland-gun-law-found-unconstitutional/614848/61 "2012-03-08T03:11:33Z")
> [@erislover](#): > > It bothers me so long as being a felon is not synonymous with being violent. As much as I think white collar crimes should be, well, crimes, I don’t get particularly scared about such an individual owning a gun. As much as I think selling drugs shouldn’t be a crime, I don’t get particularly scared about such an individual owning a gun. Additionally, a lot of states restrict people with non-felonies on their record, if the jail time was over a year, and even if this was a non-violent offense. I still think the dial is on the wrong setting. I don’t think you understand why felons are excluded. By being convicted of a felony, a person forfeits some of their rights as citizens. They can’t vote, be elected to public office, serve on juries or own firearms. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2012, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maryland-gun-law-found-unconstitutional/614848/62 "2012-03-08T04:23:16Z")
> [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > I don’t think you understand why felons are excluded. By being convicted of a felony, a person forfeits some of their rights as citizens. They can’t vote, be elected to public office, serve on juries or own firearms. It may not surprise you, then, to know I disagree with that _in general_ as well. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2012, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maryland-gun-law-found-unconstitutional/614848/63 "2012-03-08T04:29:58Z")
What I don’t understand is guns are mostly readily available in the United States and in most states the requirements to be permitted to carry a gun are not very onerous (in some states open carry requires no permit at all.) Yet in pretty much every jurisdiction in the United States it is absolutely illegal to openly carry or concealed carry a full length sword. I think if every American carried a saber or rapier or such it could quite possibly decrease a great many crimes. The constant presence of swords would be a reminder that any altercation would very easily escalate to a sword fight which may have disastrous outcome for one or both parties, thus dissuading altercations and leading to fewer assaults and manslaughter incidents. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2012, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maryland-gun-law-found-unconstitutional/614848/64 "2012-03-08T04:34:38Z")
> [@Martin\_Hyde](#): > > What I don’t understand is guns are mostly readily available in the United States and in most states the requirements to be permitted to carry a gun are not very onerous (in some states open carry requires no permit at all.) Yet in pretty much every jurisdiction in the United States it is absolutely illegal to openly carry or concealed carry a full length sword. > > I think if every American carried a saber or rapier or such it could quite possibly decrease a great many crimes. The constant presence of swords would be a reminder that any altercation would very easily escalate to a sword fight which may have disastrous outcome for one or both parties, thus dissuading altercations and leading to fewer assaults and manslaughter incidents. It takes a LOT of effort to become an accomplished swordsman, and an incompetent swordsman has no chance whatsoever against a competent one. Compare/contrast it to guns. “God made men, but Sam Colt made them equal.” ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2012, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maryland-gun-law-found-unconstitutional/614848/65 "2012-03-08T05:29:54Z")
> [@erislover](#): > > It may not surprise you, then, to know I disagree with that _in general_ as well. 🙂 You are okay with the idea of convicted felons serve on juries? I’m not too keen about letting white collar criminals run for office, although I will concede that in Illinois the difference might not be that noticeable. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2012, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maryland-gun-law-found-unconstitutional/614848/66 "2012-03-08T11:37:54Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > It takes a LOT of effort to become an accomplished swordsman, and an incompetent swordsman has no chance whatsoever against a competent one. Great, so we replace general physical education with fencing. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2012, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maryland-gun-law-found-unconstitutional/614848/67 "2012-03-08T13:08:54Z")
The Bill of Rights guarantees freedom of assembly; no one claims that this means that police can’t order an unruly crowd to disperse, or that cities can’t require parade permits for demonstrations. The problem is when cities like DC and Chicago pass gun laws that- to continue the analogy- are the equivalent of having crowd control ordinances that pre-define every unauthorized public gathering as a riot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maryland-gun-law-found-unconstitutional/614848.md?page=3)