Boys, Toys and Gun Control

Steve and his friend went out this week and each purchased a replica of 1858 New Army Texas .44 caliber revolver. I don't know much about guns but he tells me it's a "black powder" revolver. They are both cops and know their way around guns, and both of them like to go shoot targets.

Since the election, gun sales and ammo sales are way up. One Tulsa newspaper reports an 87% increase from February 2008 to February 2009. The owner of a gun shop there says that people are buying and hoarding ammunition in anticipation of potential gun control legislation coming from the Obama administration.

One of the pieces of gun control legislation the NRA is following is H.R. 45: "Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act" which is currently in committee. The bill would require

"all handgun owners to submit to the federal government an application that shall include, among many other things: a photo; an address; a thumbprint; a completed, written firearm safety test; private mental health records; and a fee.

The bill would further require the attorney general to establish a database of every handgun sale, transfer, and owner's address in America. Moreover, the bill would make it illegal to own or possess a "qualifying firearm" -- defined as "any handgun; or any semiautomatic firearm that can accept any detachable ammunition feeding device…" [emphasis added] without one of the proposed licenses.

Additionally, the bill would make it illegal to transfer ownership of a "qualifying firearm" to anyone who is not a licensed gun dealer or collector (with very few exceptions), and would require "qualifying firearm" owners to report all transfers to the attorney general's database. It would also be illegal for a licensed gun owner to fail to record a gun loss or theft within 72 hours, or fail to report a change of address within 60 days. Further, if a minor obtains a firearm and injures someone with it, the owner of the firearm may face a multiple-year jail sentence. "

There is also plenty of talk of not only gun registration, but ammo registration. According to NWV News, such legislation "would provide that, after a specific date, all handgun and 'assault weapon' ammunition manufactured or sold in the state shall be coded by the manufacturer, and would include a list of all calibers covered by the coding requirement. It would mandate the disposal by a certain date of all non-coded ammunition listed, whether owned by private citizens or retail outlets."

Gun enthusiasts are concerned because Obama has stated publicly that he will ban firearms, collect firearms, and tax firearm ammunition over 500 percent, all positions AG Eric Holder shares with BHO.

Personally, I don't shoot guns and I don't own one but I certainly respect the Second Amendment and I respect the rights of people to responsibly own guns. People that are pro-gun-control point to things like the recent shooting in Alabama but as Don Surber pointed out, "A New York Times editorial blames America’s gun lobby for 11 deaths in Alabama — but ignores 16 deaths in “gun free” Germany on the same day."

You have to look at both sides of the story and certainly there are irresponsible people but there are also responsible ones. It's been fairly well documented that strict gun control laws don't really stop criminals from getting guns, or anyone else who wants one for that matter.

Attempting to legislate every aspect of gun control violates the Second Amendment and further turns us into a nanny-state.

Here is the NYTimes editorial Surber mentions.