Congressman Simpson Is Open To Magazine Limits

      Nate Shelman of KBOI Radio interviewed Rep. Mike Simpson (R) yesterday ("Tackling the Opioid Crises") and as the interview progressed, gun control legislation came up. Simpson seemed to indicate that he would be opposed to "red flag" laws, but said he would not have a problem with banning "high capacity" magazines (he specifically stated 50 or 100 round magazines), and then related how, when hunting as a youth, his father would only give him 2 rounds and told him that if he needed more than that to hit a deer, he needed to go to the range. After a caller pointed out to him that the Second Amendment was intended to allow the people to fight against a tyrannical government, not hunting, he doubled down by indicating that the Second Amendment is not unlimited, and, seriously, used the example that a person can't buy a machine gun (which, of course, is not correct). He also seemed to be open to restricting violent video games.

     I have to admit that I was bothered by him seemingly having no conception of a limited federal government. That is, he seemed to have no comprehension that the Bill of Rights simply placed some subjects outside the purview of federal law. However, I also understand how that concept was undermined by the Civil War and the Fourteenth Amendment, which changed us from a federation of states ("these United States") to a single state under the federal government ("the United States").