It still is not real clear how far the expansion goes, and how it will work. But if it does the following, I believe it will pass the Senate, and maybe, again maybe the House. If the bill requires purchasers of firearms at "organized gun shows" to produce a background check from a registered firearms dealer who is set up at the gun show, that would work for me. I am sure there will be a price paid for that service unless you purchase from a registered firearms dealer at a gun show, in which the background checks are done for free.
If background checks are expanded to a individual seller, not at a gun show, having to conduct a background check on a buyer not related to them, then that may be an expansion that will not be supported.
And the big sticking point to any expansion of background checks will be the record keeping provisions. No, repeat no, gun owner in his/her right mind wants any level of government to have record of the guns a person owns. It is not the governments business how many guns I own or what kind they are. If they suspect I have violated the law, they can follow proper criminal investigative technique and obtain valid search warrants as provided for in the United States Constitution.
For those that say the record keeping is a good idea, just look at what happened in my old home state of Missouri. (Read full story here)
The Missouri Highway Patrol had an employee provide a complete list of those persons with a concealed weapons permit issued by the state, to the United States Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General. The SSA wanted to run the list of concealed weapons permittees against a list of those who are listed as having a mental disorder or disability.
Do you see the problems here?
- Government list, which all one has to do is look at the famed "no fly list," are permanent and almost impossible to refute, even if they are proven to be inaccurate.
- Government list have a habit of becoming "public list." As a gun owner, I don't want my name published in a newspaper or the internet. (I know, as a blogger, and a gun owner, I have given up that privilege, but I did it of my own free will)
- By making these types of list available, you put families in danger, both those who are on the list as owning guns, and those not on the list who do not own guns.
- As a burglar looking for guns, a list is perfect.
- As a rapist, a list of those owning guns tells me where to avoid, and makes those not on the list much more appealing.
Anyway, I can't make a judgement on the act just yet. Still too many unanswered questions.
But wouldn't it make sense to know how many guns a person owns, especially when you have to go through the process of background checks and obtaining a permit?
ReplyDeleteTracking somebody's library selections might be a bit intrusive, but keeping track of weapons is not out of the question, I think.
It boils down to this, if the government has a list of what you own, everyone has that list. It is not everyone's business what I own.
ReplyDeleteThere is a fourth amendment for a reason.
And as a side note, not that I think this government would ever try to confiscate our firearms, I believe that the first thing "a" government wishing to take control of a populace would confiscate is the firearms. That alone makes me oppose registration. Not just to protect myself, but our future generations.
ReplyDeleteA right given up is almost impossible to regain.