BLM declares Burning Man Second Amendment-free zone

[mia]

Source: Examiner.com

The Bureau of Land Management has declared the Burning Man “radical self-expression/self-reliance" community “experiment” in northern Nevada’s Black Rock Desert a temporary weapons-free zone, GunLeaders Blog reported today. Citing a Department of the Interior “Notice of Temporary Closure and Temporary Restrictions of Specific Uses on Public Lands in Pershing County, NV” appearing in the Federal Register Volume 77, Number 157 (Tuesday, August 14, 2012), the edict mandates “temporary closures and temporary restrictions will be in effect from August 13, 2012 to September 17, 2012.

Proclaiming its authority under 43 CFR 8364.1., and issued by Gene Seidlitz, District Manager, Winnemucca District, the restriction notice declared “The possession of any weapon is prohibited except weapons within motor vehicles passing through the public closure area, without stopping, on the west or east playa roads.

“The prohibitions above shall not apply to county, state, tribal, and Federal law enforcement personnel, or any person authorized by Federal law to possess a weapon," the notice continued. "‘Art projects' that include weapons and are sanctioned by BRC LLC will be permitted after obtaining authorization from the BLM authorized officer.”

“Any person who violates the above rules and restrictions may be tried before a United States Magistrate and fined no more than $1,000, imprisoned for no more than 12 months, or both,” the notice warned, adding “Such violations may also be subject to the enhanced fines provided for at 18 U.S.C. 3571.”



Read more: http://www.examiner.com/article/blm-declares-burning-man-second-amendment-free-zone

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[link:http://www.examiner.com/article/blm-declares-burning-man-second-amendment-free-zone|

[alp227]

1. Shouldn't the Constitution be the supreme law of all the land?

[appal_jack]

6. Someone is mixing-up rights with privileges

Someone is mixing-up rights with priileges.

If it can be revoked, even temporarily, it is a privilege.

However, rights > privileges.

The Constitution has a Bill of RIGHTS, iirc.

I fully support arresting and fining (or imprisoning, if necessary), people who commit crimes with guns at Burning Man, particularly violent crimes. But making gun possession a crime is unwarranted. Why is the BLM free to reoke the Second Amendment at its whim?

_app

[jberryhill]

16. Because a privilege has been granted...

...in permitting, in an environmentally sensitive area, a large gathering of people, vehicles, and unusual behavior involving alcohol, drugs, fireworks, and a tremendous bonfire.

Any other time, you can go out there with your gun, and that is your right. However, in the context of an event which is not a right, but subject to exacting conditions on impact to the land, then we are operating under a different set of right/privilege conditions.

[appal_jack]

25. I disagree.

The very nature of a codified right is that the government shold have no power to revoke it. This whole Hollywood police state notion of 'we are suspending the Constitution' is bullshit.

-app

[jberryhill]

34. You don't understand - the area has been essentially rented out

The playa is closed to the general public.

It's been permitted to the exclusive use of a private group.

[ZombieHorde]

30. We don't allow prisoners to have guns.

We don't allow people taking White House tours to have guns. We don't allow people on airplanes to have guns.

By your definition (which isn't a bad one), guns are a privilege in the US.

[boppers]

18. So, allow guns at wild, drunken, parties, where people are not in their right minds?

Have you been to a burn?

Or do you just frequent parties like that, where guns aren't taboo?

[ZombieHorde]

29. We already ban guns for most people in some places, such as White House tours and airplanes.

Banning guns in certain areas seems pretty normal in the US.

[petronius]

2. Makes sense - what with recent reports about target shooting sparking fires and all...

[PavePusher]

9. I thought it was the middle of a dry lake bed....?

[petronius]

28. It is, I was just trying to make a joke on the 'burning' aspect

Probably funnier before I typed it...

[PavePusher]

35. Naw, that was my caffein-deficiency at work. Well played! n/t

[DBoon]

3. I doubt many burners would want to push this

even the ones who own.

Burning Man attracts a much different crowd than a typical gun show. Burners respect the culture and rule of the event, regardless of what they might do elsewhere.

You don't want to follow the rules, you can participate in a different event.

[Grassy Knoll]

4. Why would you need a gun at a peaceful event ?

A gun free zone, Wow, Imagine.

[alp227]

7. in case of an armed intruder?

[aquart]

12. That would be the genius with the gun.

Semi-automatic, I assume?

[Posteritatis]

15. Such a recurring problem at Burning Man oh wait. (nt)

[boppers]

19. Intruder?

It's not private land.

That being said, burners build massive flamethrowers, that they mount on desert capable tanks, for *fun*.

A handgun is just asking for a public beat down.

[Occulus]

11. It's not limited to that alone, though.

It seems to apply to out-of-state persons traveling through the area who stop to take a picture. Note the "without stopping" part. Effectively, they're saying "if you stop, your rights end here".


Nope.


Could anyone tell me if there would be a money award for a successful test of this? It seems like a slam dunk and I need the cash...

half

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. There is no imaginable need for a gun at that place

[AtheistCrusader]

10. When my son is old enough, I'm going to take him there.

To be honest, I normally carry, but all I need is for the organizers to say 'please, no guns', and I would respect their wishes.

That said, it's an event somewhat at risk from some right wing nutjob.

Two killed, 7 injured:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knoxville_Unitarian_Universalist_church_shooting

Why any asshole came up with a reason to attack these peaceful, wonderful people, I cannot imagine, but there it is. It can happen.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Norway_attacks
Unless you might have police there, to watch over it, there's always a chance some scumbag is going to show up and hurt good people. Having the tools to respond isn't necessarily a bad idea.

[aquart]

13. You want to take guns to church?

Be sure to sit next to curious children.

[AtheistCrusader]

14. Well no.

I don't 'do' church.

No curious child would ever be capable of obtaining my firearm though. I elect carry options that preclude such negligence.

[PavePusher]

36. What's the problem?

Has no-one ever needed to defend themselves in a church? History says...?

[lunatica]

8. A co-worker of mine goes every year and is very active in the SF Area Burning Man community

I can't imagine her thinking of it as a place for guns.

[bemildred]

21. Yeah, I have a son that wants to take me.

I'm not sure I can handle it, but it sounds like fun to try.

[lunatica]

22. If you like genuinely creative people you'll enjoy it

Everyone I know who has gone are interesting, creative and somewhat geeky people.

[bemildred]

27. I like crazy people.

[a geek named Bob]

31. I'd love to put together a little theater

For Burning man...

Fly a solar powered blimp to Burning Man. On landing, use the blimp itself as a massive sun shade, and the propellers as wind generators...

[bemildred]

32. There you go, we don't do enough with blimps. nt

[a geek named Bob]

33. Maybe...

a nice paint job, involving vivid purple and gold...

[slackmaster]

24. In the early days of Burning Man it was common to see participants carrying firearms

Dozens of people have been injured and even killed at Burning Man, but never by gunshot.

[leveymg]

17. Not sure that guns and peyote buttons are such a great mix.

. . . Hunter Thompson is the exception that may prove the rule.

[bemildred]

20. Good. nt

[Festivito]

23. This rule will help increase gun sales.

And, not even one reason why, just a non-discriptive comment from opponents to this government opposition to guns.

"Actions by a few participants at previous events have resulted in law enforcement and public safety incidents similar to those observed in urban areas of similar-size populations,”

My guess, this is done by a Republican plant. We won't get his/her name. Knee-jerks will knee-jerk blame lee-bruls and Obama while guns sales will go up.

[slackmaster]

26. This is redundant. The festival rules have prohibited firearms for many years.