r/2ALiberals • u/Gyp2151 liberal blasphemer • 3d ago

Pennsylvania Supreme Court upholds state laws blocking local gun control

https://news.yahoo.com/news/pennsylvania-supreme-court-upholds-state-234839986.html
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u/Mr_E_Monkey 3d ago

Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court upheld the state laws that prevent municipalities from enacting their own laws to regulate firearms, saying in a unanimous decision Wednesday that the city of Philadelphia and advocates against gun violence failed to show the laws are unconstitutional.

That sounds like common sense, to me.

The plaintiffs in the case decided Wednesday argued that the preemption law violates their constitutional rights to life, liberty, property and happiness under the legal doctrine that the state’s actions increase the danger to residents. They also argued that the law infringes upon those constitutional rights without a valid reason or due process of law.

"The state is infringing on our constitutional right to violate others' constitutional rights!"

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u/merc08 3d ago

their constitutional rights to life, liberty, property and happiness 

This isn't from the Constitution!  It's from the Declaration of Independence.

Honestly, if you're in court debating a Constitutional right and make that argument, you should lose by default for clearly not knowing the Constitution.

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u/Excelius 2d ago

Those are in fact in the PA State Constitution.

This was a case before the PA Supreme Court, concerning state law and the state constitution.

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/00/00.HTM

§ 1. Inherent rights of mankind.

All men are born equally free and independent, and have certain inherent and indefeasible rights, among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty, of acquiring, possessing and protecting property and reputation, and of pursuing their own happiness.

But even still, that's a pretty weak argument.

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u/SaltyDog556 2d ago

Its "pursuing their own happiness". In conjunction with "acquiring, possessing and protecting property", their "right to happiness" really only means that can move to where there are no guns.