Gun Control & RKBA
In reply to the discussion: Gun Controllers Unwittingly Support Unsafe Societal Conditions [View all]glacierbay
(2,477 posts)it's refreshing.
That said, keeping firearms out of the hands of prohibited persons is a goal we all strive for, but doing it w/o infringing on the rights of the law abiding is a tough one. We all agree that the mentally ill shouldn't possess firearms, but how do we get there w/o violations of our rights?
Some have suggested mandatory mental health screenings to own a firearm, IMHO, that's a non starter for me, who determines what the mental health standard for ownership is? The Govt.? Some faceless bureaucrat?
The possibility for abuse of the system is breathtaking.
Some have supported background checks for all sales, private and from FFL's. Right now, a private seller is prohibited by law to access the NICS system to check if a buyer is legal to possess a firearm.
This one's easy for me, open NICS to private sellers to determine if a buyer is a prohibited person or not, if legal, then sale goes through w/o anymore info given, if it's a prohibited person, LE should be notified and an investigation should be initiated to determine if a prohibited person attempted to obtain a firearm.
Another idea floated by one of our more authoritarian controllers is a one strike and your DQ from ever owning a firearm again.
For obvious reason, that's a ridiculous proposition and I would wholeheartedly oppose it.
Same poster said that elderly should be banned from owning firearms due to their age and diminished capacity, I'm just paraphrasing here, but that was his intent. Another non starter, elderly people, of which I'm closing in on, are just as sharp as the youngsters.
Registration of firearms, specifically handguns, has been advocated by some here, another non starter, criminals won't and don't have to register firearms, it only impacts the lawful gun owner and it gives the Govt. a list of who owns what and in my mind, that's a dangerous road to go down, witness the confiscation of "Assault Weapons" in CA after registration.
In closing, there are things that can be that won't infringe on the law abiding citizens RKBA. Better reporting by the states of prohibited persons, timely reporting of those that have been deemed by a court to be mentally unfit to possess firearms, more timely reporting of convicted Felons, convicted Domestic Violence.
Have the Fed. Govt. properly fund the NICS. There are other steps that can be taken to make it harder for prohibited persons to get firearms.
Kind of a long post, something I'm not exactly known for.
Thanks for listening.