H.R. 45 firearm registration bill

There is no doubt in my mind that he means well, but that reminds me of a quote by CS Lewis.

"Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. "

[Silound]

I'm all for a more thorough registration and sale system, I'm not for paying for it with my taxes.

Honestly, it should have been mandated a long time ago that to own a firearm you must also have an up-to-date state/federal registration in your name for the firearm you own. Nothing more than what we do now with license plates for cars. Just to prevent people from skirting through loopholes in laws that the special advocate groups insist on so that Billy-Bob in Texarkana, who's recently paroled on manslaughter charge, can somehow acquire a firearm (simply because it's his right to own one, even if he legally can't possess or purchase one as a felon) from some random guy who could legally buy one and didn't know Billy-Bob was a convicted felon.


Edit to add that I'm not a gun-control nut by any means. I have many firearms, and while I don't want Uncle Sam looking over my shoulder and telling me what I can and cannot do with them, I'd prefer to share that information with the government to prevent some people from obtaining firearms for reasons that are no good.

[Sauer Grapes]

But it won't prevent the criminals from obtaining firearms.

There are already laws against felons from possessing firearms. Heck, a felon can't even have one round in his pocket or car.

[BigAl_SC]

Originally Posted by alley00p

Adding this law is equivalent to creating a National Gun Registration, something the Nazi's did prior to taking over the government in Germany in the 1930's.

This law won't keep a criminal from procuring or carrying a handgun - but it will keep honest citizens from doing that.

That is 100% the reason for this bill. This will register the guns of the law abiding citizens and not of the criminals that do not follow the law now. By stopping the sale from law abiding citizen to law abiding citizen (ie. gun show sales, newspaper sales, gun club member to gun club member), the government creates a registry that can be used when ever they wish. They will worry about the criminals with guns when they are the only ones left with them. Seems to me to have the priorities backward.

[Thrak]

Originally Posted by Silound

so that Billy-Bob in Texarkana, who's recently paroled on manslaughter charge, can somehow acquire a firearm (simply because it's his right to own one, even if he legally can't possess or purchase one as a felon) from some random guy who could legally buy one and didn't know Billy-Bob was a convicted felon.

Thats already illegal, we dont need more laws to make it "more" illegal. Its called a straw purchase.

[blugill]

If a bad guy wants a firearm he will get it. If it is illegal to buy he will steal it. If it is illegal to steal he will kill for it.

The more road blocks the government puts up to discourage honest people from buying firearms the less they have to fear from the citizens who are seeing their future ruined by an out of control government.

[taltos]

Congress is afraid that the general population will finally realize the intent of the Second Amendment; it is there to protect this country's citizens from an out of control government.

Revolution!!!

[G G]

Originally Posted by Rabidsquirrel

I doubt you'd say the same thing if you lived in Philadelphia and you were a cop. I forget how many we've buried this year already, 3?

Most of the criminals are not buying them legally now, and they wont with a new law. They are not going to follow the law, they will still buy them on the street.

And I am sorry to hear about the three brave men that have died because of thugs.

[M1903A1]

Originally Posted by Rabidsquirrel

I doubt you'd say the same thing if you lived in Philadelphia and you were a cop. I forget how many we've buried this year already, 3?

I regard gun control as the social equivalent of slapping a band-aid on cancer, or trying to patch the rotten wood of a house that's gone bad because nobody's doing (or willing to do) the necessary upkeep. It's a looks-good-feels-good-accomplishes-nothing approach to a circumstance where serious examination shows that the real solution is much more difficult.

Originally Posted by blugill

Amen

Amen 2X

Originally Posted by Big Vito

I wish they could rise

They are us.

[Stig]

The sond amendment gives us the right to keep and bear arms, it doesn't say anything about a license. Sounds like a direct violation of the second amendment. If they spent as much time in Washington trying to figure out how to get the guns out of the hands of criminals and get those guns of the steet as the spent trying to make it tougher for honest citizens to get guns then maybe there would be fewer of them on the street. I say give everyone without a criminal record a gun, it deffinitely is a huge deterant to someone trying to break into your house, mug you on the street or jack your car if they know that you can shoot back.

[Silound]

Originally Posted by Thrak

Thats already illegal, we dont need more laws to make it "more" illegal. Its called a straw purchase.

It's already illegal, but there's no safeguards. If the seller and Billy-Bob had to go fill out the paperwork and register it, it would come to the attention of the seller that Billy-Bob can't legally own a firearm. Sale prevented, and the seller doesn't assume any legal responsibility.


It's not a law to make it "more illegal", it's needing to put in safeguards that enforce the current laws better.

Sounds like more reason for me to stock up on firearms, just in case I have to provide some for people in an "emergency". Oh, and ammo and reloading supplies too (which for some reason are in seriously short supply lately).

[BigAl_SC]

Originally Posted by Silound

It's already illegal, but there's no safeguards. If the seller and Billy-Bob had to go fill out the paperwork and register it, it would come to the attention of the seller that Billy-Bob can't legally own a firearm. Sale prevented, and the seller doesn't assume any legal responsibility.


It's not a law to make it "more illegal", it's needing to put in safeguards that enforce the current laws better.

I understand your point. Your assuming that Billy-Bob, being the scum he is, wouldn't just steal a gun or purchase a stolen one.

This brings us back to my original thesis that this is just a front to get the legal guns registered so that someday they say 'This registration is not working to get the guns away from the crooks. Lets confiscate all of the registered ones.'

This law does not affect the criminals at all. Only lets the government know where the legal ones are at.

[Silound]

Very good point about him being scum


I just don't see how, under any circumstances, the government will ever be able to take away legally registered guns. Look what hell the automatic weapons ban went through to pass, and they're still legal if they were manufactured before a certain year (84 I think?), which a large number were indeed.

God forbid anyone tried to outlaw guns, we'd have another War of Northern Aggression (another Civil War for those who never heard that joke ).

[BigAl_SC]

Originally Posted by Silound

I just don't see how, under any circumstances, the government will ever be able to take away legally registered guns.

1930's Germany, Those that didn't support the government, lost their weapons. Who would have believed the things congress has done in the last 12 months, back in 1982. Please don't let this get political. Its against the rules......

Originally Posted by Silound

God forbid anyone tried to outlaw guns, we'd have another War of Northern Aggression

Being from South Carolina, I appreciate you using the correct name.

[MarkinAZ]

Originally Posted by BigAl_SC

1930's Germany, Those that didn't support the government, lost their weapons.

That's absolutely correct and a part of history that may have been white washed from our childrens school cirriculum. In Nazi Germany, it was gun registration, gun confiscation, and then the round-up and extermination of the Jewish people...

[Rabidsquirrel]

Originally Posted by ggainey

Most of the criminals are not buying them legally now, and they wont with a new law. They are not going to follow the law, they will still buy them on the street.

Of course they won't legally buy them. The get their family/wives/girlfriends to legally buy them and give them to them.

I don't need people to keep telling me that criminals don't follow the law. They're called criminals for a reason, I realize that. If you crack down on the people that willingly give known criminals a handgun, it's a start.