S.F. voters consider tough handgun ban

The San Jose Mercury reports on the wacky city of San Francisco:

The city that made Dirty Harry famous, but also witnessed the assassination of a mayor and supervisor a generation ago, on Tuesday will weigh enacting the toughest handgun ban in the nation.

If Proposition H passes on the ballot, San Francisco residents would not be allowed to own handguns and would have to turn in ones already in their possession by April 1.

The proposal comes at a time when San Francisco is confounded by how to stop the rise of gun-related homicides in recent years, particularly among youths. But opposition from gun-owner groups is fierce, and San Francisco is poised again to insert itself in the middle of a contentious national debate.

The National Rifle Association and several other groups have promised to file suit as early as Wednesday morning should the measure pass -- which is expected in a city known for its liberal bent.

The NRA and others will argue that San Francisco is again overstepping its bounds by taking on a role -- similar to the city's decision to marry same-sex couples in 2004 -- that should be left up to the state. Their view is that deciding who can own a gun is the state's job, and the California Supreme Court has upheld that notion in the past.

You don't think the political leaders of San Francisco would feel inhibited by things like constitutions? Hitler would be proud.