I understand that Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard will have a booth at the Indy 1500 gun and knife show this weekend at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
I, like Ballard am a Republican. I am also an attorney and have represented gunowners against the City of Indianapolis.
I would strongly advise people to not fall for the appearance of support this Mayor shows for gun rights. They are empty words, not backed up by actions. I can tell you from my experiences in court, Mayor Ballard's adminstration strongly takes the position that the City of Indianapolis does not have to comply with the Second Amendment, that the Second Amendment is absolutely no bar to any policy or ordinance adopted by the City. This position is in direct conflict with our Attorney General Greg Zoeller who along with many other state Attorneys General have argued that the Second Amendment does apply to states and municiplaities.
The Ballard adminstration also has fought to defend one of the most strict gun return policies of any city in the Midwest. If police officers wrongly come into your house and take your guns (for example a search warrant has the wrong address), the policy of the City of Indianapolis is that those guns will not be returned unless the owner submits to fingerprinting and and the guns undergo ballistics testing.
I should add that Mayor Ballard has spoken out in praise of the New York City gun registration system and suggested adopting the same here.
Make no mistake about it. Mayor Ballard is no friend of gun owners. Don't be fooled by an appearance at a gun and knife show and empty rhetoric not backed up by actions.
Paul K. Ogden
Attorney at Law
Ogden on Politics: Mayor Ballard Contradicts Attorney General Zoeller on 2nd Amendment, Targets Legal Gunowners With City's Gun Return Policy
I, like Ballard am a Republican. I am also an attorney and have represented gunowners against the City of Indianapolis.
I would strongly advise people to not fall for the appearance of support this Mayor shows for gun rights. They are empty words, not backed up by actions. I can tell you from my experiences in court, Mayor Ballard's adminstration strongly takes the position that the City of Indianapolis does not have to comply with the Second Amendment, that the Second Amendment is absolutely no bar to any policy or ordinance adopted by the City. This position is in direct conflict with our Attorney General Greg Zoeller who along with many other state Attorneys General have argued that the Second Amendment does apply to states and municiplaities.
The Ballard adminstration also has fought to defend one of the most strict gun return policies of any city in the Midwest. If police officers wrongly come into your house and take your guns (for example a search warrant has the wrong address), the policy of the City of Indianapolis is that those guns will not be returned unless the owner submits to fingerprinting and and the guns undergo ballistics testing.
I should add that Mayor Ballard has spoken out in praise of the New York City gun registration system and suggested adopting the same here.
Make no mistake about it. Mayor Ballard is no friend of gun owners. Don't be fooled by an appearance at a gun and knife show and empty rhetoric not backed up by actions.
Paul K. Ogden
Attorney at Law
Ogden on Politics: Mayor Ballard Contradicts Attorney General Zoeller on 2nd Amendment, Targets Legal Gunowners With City's Gun Return Policy
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