BamaD
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quote:
ORIGINAL: lovmuffin
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ORIGINAL: jlf1961
Technically we already 'register' a fire arm at purchase. That information is available to the ATF whenever they want it.
Yes, exactly, and I know this. It's basically a partial back door registration. Guns may be traced if there is a reason like one found on a felony suspect or found to have been used in a crime. They can trace it from the manufacturer to the wholesaler to the dealer and finally to the original purchaser atempting to find out it's disposition. This type of registration isn't nearly as horrible as it could be, yet when a dealer goes out of business or dies the records must be turned over to the ATF (Feds). I know first hand, one instace of an abuse as a result of this and there are all kinds of abuses waiting to happen and some that have happened. I'm not going to get into it all now but I can follow up later if needed with some documented facts.
When you say "improve registration", I interpret that to mean (and I hope I'm wrong) taking it all a step farther with a federal law requiring registration of all new purchases and transfers of those purchases to the next owner and so on. Why stop there ? Don't grandfather the 350 million estimated guns already in private hands. Require all gun owners to register whatever they have or face whatever penalty if youre caught with an unregistered gun.
So, where does that leave us gun owners ? Lets assume for the sake of this discussion that most of these 350 million guns and all newly purchased guns will have a file with names, addresses, SS numbers, fingerprints maybe and all the rest of it. IMHO it's the second to last nail in the coffin for gun ownership. Sometime in the future, maybe not in my lifetime but for one reason or another, congress enacts a ban on semi automatics. Gun registration will make it so much easier to confiscate those guns. Then comes a ban on all other handguns. What comes next ? I mean like the governor of NY would say who needs to "kill a dee-a" (deer) with a sniper rifle sporting a telescopic sight when you can go to the store and buy a can of soup ? Libs would see this as the rantings from a paranoid far right gun toting tea bagger killer wack job. However, others would see past abuses by the ATF and other federal agencies not to mention in the last century how guns were confiscated on more than one occasion in the UK (OP article) as a sign of things to come.
I'm not going to list every single negative consequence of a registration scheme but, lets assume that in the event it accurs, what would likely happen. IMO (and I've said this before Politesub but I'm not too arrogant so I'll repeat myself), only a fraction, maybe even a significant fraction but I would think much less than half, including crap loads of law enforcement personel, would actually register their firearms. That means with the stroke of a pen we would in effect have 50 million or so new law breakers, like we don't have enough problems trying to enforce the laws we have now. Why couldn't we simply require felons, exfelons, drug dealers, bank robbers, gang bangers, outlaw bikers, oganized crime types, insane people, serial killers and idiots to register their guns ? (I've said that before too Polite, do a search). In case the logic is lost on some of you (I don't mean you jlf, please say you were only joking) it ain't gun-a happen (gun pun intended). So what would be the point of it all ? Honest gun owners will comply with registration while the guys who really need to have their guns registered, assuming it isn't illegal for them to possess in the first place are laughing at all of it. Some one explain the logic. There's a number of other problems a gun registration scheme would create.
As far as I'm concerned, registration is an issue where gun owners need to draw a line in the sand. Some gun owners might think it's a good idea to give in on one thing or another appearing to be *reasonable* when in fact, what may seem *reasonable* is useless simpleton stupid shit like limiting magazine capacity or registration of a particular class of firearms or whatever. I disagree. It's more like 4 or 5 guys on a dog sled (unarmed) being chased by a pack of vicious hungry wolves. The sled is moving just a bit too slow and the wolves are catching up. So ya throw a guy out to appease them but it doesn't work. The wolves keep on coming.
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ORIGINAL:
My problem is like the Virginia Tech shooter who had a history of violent mental illness who, hours before he started shooting on campus, he bought another gun.
I don't have an issue trying to deal with deficiencies in the background check data base and shoring up its problems among other things. This guy should have been denied any legal means of obtaining firearms but he slipped through the cracks.
Then ,to my understanding the three of us are in agreement on this.
_____________________________
Government ranges from a necessary evil to an intolerable one. Thomas Paine
People don't believe they can defend themselves because they have guns, they have guns because they believe they can defend themselves.
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RE: Gun control in the U.K. - 
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