Taxation without Representation (continued)

DC voting rights suffered a setback yesterday after Republicans threatened to gut DC's gun control laws by attaching an amendment to the bill that would have given us a vote in Congress.

The House was poised to pass a bill that would have given us a vote (and also adding a Congressional District in Republican Utah to balanced the addition of DC's Democratic vote).

The bill seemed likely to pass.

Then Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) proposed adding an amendment that would gut DC's gun control laws.

Now, I tend to be a strong 2nd amendment rights supporter and am generally pro-gun. But what business is it of this guy from Texas, to legislate gun laws in the District of Columbia?

This is precisely why DC needs statehood (or to recede back to Maryland). Any member of Congress can undo legislation duly enacted by DC's elected city government. We are a city with 535 Princes. It's undemocratic and unjust, especially at a time when DC residents are fighting -- and dying -- in Iraq to bring democracy there. We could use a little at home.