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Originally Posted by Yellowjacket
The District of Columbia IS under the same Bill of Rights restrictions as the states, and residents there enjoy the same Constitutional protections as residents of the several states. The supreme court has ruled so in Callan v. Wilson, Wright v. Davidson and other cases.
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Technically, you're right. But they get their rights handed to them piecemeal, and have to fight for some of them (such as Representation, Voting Rights, and Right to Bear Arms). They are under special, limited rights protection because of the clause in the Constitution that says :
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[The Congress shall have Power] To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States."
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In strict legalese, they have the same rights afforded any U.S. Citizen. But in reality, they aren't allowed those rights by the Federal Governments typical "give an inch, take a mile" legislation. But I guess the same holds true whether you live in a State or not...D.C. just gets some of the worst treatment. They can't get truly fair treatement comparable to the States, since they are taxed without representation. Not even the States get that kind of screwing.