Why can not the government make felonies of anything? Heroin is, why not tobacco? Bank robbery, why not speeding?
Okay, so the rule of law is not safe? The government wants to turn everyone into a felon, so therefore even felons must be eligible to own firearms? Perhaps you subscribe to the grand conspiracy concept, huh?
Murderers? Rapists? Bank Robbers? Terrorists? Even if they have been convicted by a jury of their peers?
You have got to be kidding! You are promoting foolish sentiment. While I know that all men are created equal, in terms of the self-evident right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, once we begn making decisions, equality ends. Those that decide to deprive others of their essential liberty via coercion, violence etc, lose their right to the same. Laws of government, idealy will be fair and applied correctly (yes, one must have faith in the rule of law!).
In our historic background, English common law, concepts of justice, biblical law and our own adaptations which resulted in the US Constitution and Bill of Rights is the best man has ever produced.
While I do agree that we are being over-burdened by excessive laws and regulations, the basics of human justice must be upheld.
To that end we must debar those that are defective in their behaviors-while being careful on how we define that exactly.
I tend to be inclined to apply these principles rather stricly-if one is convicted of certain crimes, the reuslt should be death, while other crimes may result in imprisonment or fine etc.
I too understand that my warrant to defend myself comes not from the 2nd Amendment, but from my inalienable, God-given right to life; the 2nd simply enumerates that empowerment along with other critical endowments by my God (other amendments).
To say that criminals should be allowed the very means to perpetrate additional crime just because they have the “same” right as peaceful citizens is ludicrous if not plain stupid.
Certainly there could be debate on what constitutes a disqualification, but felons are defined by their actions, hence I agree with the disbarring of cetain rights based on that behavior.
The bibilcal parallel is if your ox gores (aberrant behavior for an ox) another person; the ox is to be killed as it will continue to gore others that may pass.
God Bless
Doesn't even have to be a felony. Just punishable by more than two years for a state conviction, or one year for a federal one.
Lots of things, many non-violent and often "malum prohibitum" (prohibited by law) rather than "malum in se" (bad in itself) offenses.