A federal judge on Thursday granted an injunction against Montgomery County’s enforcement of “buffer zones” around places of worship, but there’s a catch.
Rabbi J. Menashe Shapiro and worshipers at the Silver Spring Jewish Center are now legally permitted to carry firearms for self-defense at the synagogue.
However, the ruling by U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow only applies to this specific congregation and no one else. This means other gathering places for the faithful in the Maryland county continue to be vulnerable to lunatics who target the religious.
Limited ruling is positive but should have been much more
Shapiro told the Jerusalem News Syndicate on Thursday, just before Rosh Hashanah, that he is thankful congregants are now free to protect themselves.
“I’m very pleased that the judge has granted our preliminary injunction, especially on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, as many Jews will gather in synagogue and ask, ‘who will live and who will die?’” The rabbi said. “We now have the ability to ensure the protection of our institution as we go into this critical time.”
That is good news, to be sure, but the court could have made a stronger statement. Chasanow declined to apply her ruling to other county “buffer zones,” the arbitrary 100-yard circle around many locations where lawful carry is prohibited.
‘Buffer zones’ are virtual bans on lawful carry in public
Montgomery County went to great lengths to suppress the right to keep and bear arms outside of the home. Its overlapping “sensitive places” and “buffer zones” mean that many residents must leave their primary self-defense tools at home when going about their daily lives.
Tools that the Second Amendment protects.
Following the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack on southern Israel that killed over 1,200 innocent civilians, Jewish-American institutions came under attack. This and other tragic events led many to arm themselves and take steps to defend against aggression.
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