A Sioux City, Iowa man was denied a gun license by Sheriff Douglas Weber because, said the sheriff, Paul Dorr’s gun ownership was a “concern for the public.  Don’t trust him.”  Dorr and his son Alexander have been long known in their community for frequent political activities including distribution of leaflets, protesting, and letter writing to the local newspaper editor.  Local residents have reported the two Dorrs as a nuisance.  Dorr took his case to court and last week Judge Mark Bennett, considered an outspoken critic of conservative judicial activism, ordered Weber to issue the license to Dorr and to attend classes on the constitution.  Said Judge Bennett:

In denying Paul a concealed weapons permit, Sheriff Weber single-handedly hijacked the First Amendment and nullified its freedoms and protections. Ironically, Sheriff Weber, sworn to uphold the Constitution, in fact retaliated against a citizen of his county who used this important freedom of speech and association precisely in the manner envisioned by the founding members of our nation … This is a great reminder that the First Amendment protects the sole individual who may be a gadfly, kook, weirdo, nut job, whacko, and spook, with the same force of protection as folks with more majoritarian and popular views.

Mr. Dorr’s reaction to the judge’s decision had nothing to do with the constitution or his First Amendment rights, however. He told the Sioux City Journal,

…justice is served. I get my permit back and the sheriff is being sent back to school. The harm done by Sheriff Weber against the 6th and 9th commandments has been made right.

Those commandments, according to Exodus 20 are, respectively:  You shall not murder; and You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.  Neither the Wall Street Journal nor the Sioux City Journal confirm that these are the two “laws” Dorr finds the court to have restored.

Sahil Kapur on why Dems are hesitant to address gun control, at the Washington Independent.