- A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from allowing blueprints of 3D-printed guns to be shared online.
- In July 2018, a gun-activist group reached a settlement with the Department of State that allowed the organization to legally distribute online instruction manuals for firearms that can be created by anyone with a 3D printer.
- Judge Robert Lasnik said Tuesday that the 2018 deal was “arbitrary and capricious," and therefore a violation of the federal Administrative Procedure Act and the Constitution.
“The Department of State concluded that the worldwide publication of computerized instructions for the manufacture of undetectable firearms was a threat to world peace and the national security interests of the United States and would cause serious and long-lasting harm to its foreign policy,” Judge Lasnik said in a 25-page order.
- Defense Distributed, who made the gun blueprints, have argued that blocking the publication of its 3D-printed gun instructions violate the First and Second Amendments.
- “With today’s unprecedented ruling, a few rogue state officials have commandeered the State Department to do their unconstitutional bidding nationwide,” said Chad Flores, a lawyer for Defense Distributed. “Defense Distributed will be appealing and fully expects a swift reversal.”
- Congress is currently considering a bill on this issue. Tell your reps: Should Purchases of Untraceable, Homemade “Ghost Guns” be Subject to Federal Background Checks?
What do you think?
Do you support DIY guns? Should they be protected by the First Amendment, or do they need to be regulated like other firearms? Take action and tell your reps, then share your thoughts below.
—Josh Herman
(Photo Credit: Defense Distributed screen capture)
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