ATL Field Trip: Hohensee, J., Dissenting
Meet Richard Hohensee. He's a homeless man here in Washington, who has been living on the D.C. streets for some two years -- which has been "very convenient," since he's running for president (see here). We met him yesterday outside the Supreme Court, during our recent field trip.
Rick Hohensee is highly intelligent and articulate, with detailed views on the Second Amendment and the proper disposition of the Heller case, which is being argued before the Supreme Court as we post this. In case you can't read it in the video, this is the text of his sign:
Silberman erred. DC exists so that the Second Amendment does not apply here. http://www.myspace.com/presidentbyamendment
Could this be the first time in human history that the name of a D.C. Circuit judge has appeared on the sign of a homeless man? (D.C. Circuit judges who get nominated to the Court, and protested as SCOTUS nominees, don't count.)
In this short video clip, Mr. Hohensee explains why he believes Judge Silberman erred:
Two more videos featuring Rick Hohensee, in which he explains his support for Obama and his own presidential bid, after the jump.
In these two videos, he talks about voting in the recent D.C. primary -- he's got a crush on Obama -- and his effort to become president "by amendment":
Rick Hohensee: President By Amendment [MySpace]
Homeless man outside Heller argument 1 [YouTube]
Homeless man outside Heller argument 2 [YouTube]
Homeless man outside Heller argument 3 [YouTube]
Comments
Pretty impressive.
Posted by: Patrick | March 18, 2008 11:05 AM
he should tackle FIRST amendment issues too
Posted by: firsty | March 18, 2008 11:10 AM
Awesome.
Posted by: Anon | March 18, 2008 11:12 AM
has to be a hoax
smart man
Posted by: Anonymous | March 18, 2008 11:15 AM
When did we start allowing homeless people to discuss political and legal issues? Or form congregations of one on a street corner?
Posted by: Anonymous | March 18, 2008 11:15 AM
That's DC for you. Even the homeless people are policy wonks.
Posted by: Anonymous | March 18, 2008 11:16 AM
This guy is classic. His Constitutional Amendment is pure genius.
Posted by: Anonymous | March 18, 2008 11:27 AM
The first amendment has been obseleted....classic.
Posted by: Anon | March 18, 2008 11:31 AM
His sign, "DC exists so that the Second Amendment does not apply here."
WTF?
Posted by: Anonymous | March 18, 2008 11:36 AM
Meet my new hiring coup.
Posted by: E. Kagan | March 18, 2008 11:49 AM
Lat can spot a Yale man just about anywhere, it seems. Nice get.
Posted by: Anonymous | March 18, 2008 11:49 AM
"Rick Hohensee is highly intelligent and articulate, with detailed views on the Second Amendment . . ."
Did he just call him "articulate"??!! Don't you know how offensive that is? Like, "oh, how newsworthy, this guy is homeless, but he can still speak English."
Whats next, making fun of cavemen?
Kashmir, your readers demand an immediate apology. Also, fire that Lat guy, and give a speech explaining that you strongly disagree with him.
Posted by: GEICO Caveman | March 18, 2008 11:58 AM
Sad day when a homeless person is more articulate than the president.
Posted by: Guest | March 18, 2008 11:59 AM
Wow, 11:36, that homeless guy is smarter than you.
His argument - DC exists so that congress can have a place to convene outside of any state and its influence/laws. The Second Amendment applies to states. Therefore, the very purpose of DC is so that there can be a location where, inter alia, the Second Amendment does not apply.
Posted by: Anonymous | March 18, 2008 12:00 PM
Hohensee to 190!
Posted by: Anonymous | March 18, 2008 12:09 PM
Mr. Hohensee’s erudite analysis reminds me of a run-in I once had with another denizen of the Streets of DC.
Several years ago, when I first moved to DC after law school and was studying for the bar exam, I was riding home on the Metro after BAR/BRI class. I was talking with a classmate about which bar exams people from our class were planning to take. Out of Nowhere, some homeless guy pipes up and says rather matter-of-factly “Just take Maryland and waive into DC, that’s what I did…” A number of riders did a double-take at this rather unkempt guy. I think he was just parroting something he overheard once, but I initially thought to myself “Jesus Christ, even the homeless people are lawyers in DC.”
Posted by: Only in DC... | March 18, 2008 12:12 PM
The irony is that the two Justices most likely to agree with the argument that the Founders did not intend for the Second Amendment to apply to non-states are Thomas and Scalia. Only a strict constructionist could buy the argument that "state" means state and nothing else.
Watch out NRA memebrs of Guam, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islans and American Samoa -- the Second Amendment may not apply to you either.
Posted by: Anonymous | March 18, 2008 12:22 PM
"Only a strict constructionist could buy the argument that "state" means state and nothing else. "
So DC should get 2 senators and a House rep with voting rights, just like a "state" does? Because "state" means something else in the Constitution?
Posted by: Textualist nonconservative | March 18, 2008 12:35 PM
^^ oh snap!
Posted by: snapd00d | March 18, 2008 12:44 PM
Just listening to the arguments on C-Span... Kennedy was hammering D.C.'s attorney... that's 5-4 minimum... we're done here gents.
Posted by: Anonymous | March 18, 2008 12:56 PM
11:49: Awesome. Made my day.
Posted by: Anonymous | March 18, 2008 02:22 PM
12:12 pm... Weakest retort ever.
Posted by: XYX | March 18, 2008 02:30 PM
Whoops, I meant 12:22...
Posted by: XYX | March 18, 2008 05:44 PM
Well, if the market crashes and we have a second great depression, at least we'll be in good company on the streets.
Posted by: Depression 3L | March 19, 2008 05:31 AM
Thanks peoples.
Is America ready to grade on content?
I have a President available immediately that's a bit rough around the edges, but generally gets stuff like more dollars equals inflation, war is not peace, and so on.
;o)
Rick Hohensee
Posted by: Rick Hohensee | March 19, 2008 06:04 PM