The fallacy of gun registration

Enter Stage Right ^ | 7/14/2008 | Charles Bloomer

[Gunner9mm]

The fallacy of gun registration

By Charles Bloomer web posted July 14, 2008

One of the gun grabbers' favorite "common sense" gun control measures is gun registration. As with other gun control schemes, the anti-gun crowd never considers whether or not the particular "common sense" law actually does anything constructive. In actuality, the "common sense" gun laws are grossly deficient in common sense.

Last week on WTOP radio's "Ask the Chief" program, Washington, DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier inadvertently admitted that the District's gun registration program was a failure. According to the Chief, "Honestly, there are thousands of handguns that were registered in the city and I don't know whether those handguns are still in the city." Of the 41,000 handguns registered, the police department cannot account for 36,000.

The handguns in question were registered back in 1976 when the District's near-total handgun ban became law. The law grandfathered handguns that already existed in the city, but required the owners to register them. The owners of 41,000 handguns dutifully registered the guns. Yet now, 32 years later, the District does not know where 88% of those handguns are.

I have some follow-up questions to ask the Chief.

[umgud]

The worthless DC gun registration programs, past and future are not about gun control. These programs are actually about people control. The people of Washington, DC deserve better.

From the article.

[Hootowl]

Simple solution: put on driver’s licenses whether one is permitted to buy or own a gun.

[cla62]

My license doesn’t expire for 5 years, so they’re not going to know about me for 5 more years. Gotta be a better way!!

[Old Student]

“Simple solution: put on driver’s licenses whether one is permitted to buy or own a gun.”

BITE YOUR TONGUE!!!

I'm serious, FRiend. I want to see BLOOD! DO NOT GIVE THE LIBS ANY NEW IDEAS!

/Rant

[Knitebane]

Simple solution: put on driver’s licenses whether one is permitted to buy or own a gun.

Simpler solution: Shall not be Infringed.

[kbennkc]

How far set into the future were those movies that had the exploding neck collars ? That was pretty good people control .

[ExGeeEye]

Registration requirement = Infringement.

Disassembly requirement = Infringement.

Trigger lock requirement = Infringement.

Carry Permit requirement = Infringement.

FOID card = Infringement.

FFL requirement = Infringement.

BATF existence = Infringement.

“undue burden” = Infringement (any burden is undue).

[Niteranger68]

The most obvious problem with gun registration is that it catalogs law-abiding citizens, while the purpose of law enforcement is to catalog law-breaking citizens. We need reform in the courts that holds governments liable when someone can not defend themselves from a physical attack because their second amendment rights have been suppressed or denied.

[Captain Jack Aubrey]

Most people prohibited from owning a gun (i.e. convicted felons) do not have driver’s licenses.

[andy58-in-nh]

Four words: "shall not be infringed".

And that ought to be the end of the argument. Except for this: "The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed" is not a grant of rights; it is a recognition of them. Governmental authorities under our Constitution may not infringe on such rights because they have no lawful power to do so. And I believe that includes state and local governments through the Incorporation doctrine.

[tcostell]

New Jersey makes registration optional. I always found that strage given their antipathy to firearms in general. So as you can imagine, I rushed right down and registered all of mine. /s (I’ll bury them in the backyard first.)

[Reagan Man]

>>>>>The only people who will register their guns are law-abiding citizens.

Brilliant! [/sarc]

[Mr. K]

"I’ll bury them in the backyard first.)"

That's the first place they'll look- bury them in the neighbors yard ;)

[TexasRedeye]

Simple solution: put on driver’s licenses whether one is permitted to buy or own a gun.

Better solution: FORGET PERMITS!

[Rick.Donaldson]

Not only no, but hell no.

I shouldn’t EVEN have to have a stupid license to carry my weapons concealed.

Period.

[mbynack]

I think this is a great idea, but it doesn't go far enough. People should reqire a government license to publish anything in writing or on the Internet. They should have to get a license to attend church and the government should be free to reject their application without giving a reason. They need to limit church attendance and publishing privileges to one per month. We need to follow the lead of other “free” countries like Germany that require citizens to get permission from the police to move. We can change the Constitution because Barack says it's a “living document”.

[SWEETSUNNYSOUTH]

“Most people prohibited from owning a gun (i.e. convicted felons do not have drivers licenses”

I’ll bet most convicted felons in DC have unregistered handguns. This ain’t gonna change.

[calex59]

Simple solution: put on driver’s licenses whether one is permitted to buy or own a gun.

Just another form of registration and a bad idea, IMO. The government doesn't need to know I have a gun, or how many guns as far as that goes. All registration programs are crap. Read the constitution. It does not allow for the government to track my firearms and says I get to own and carry them(that is what keep and bear means BTW)without infringement. Shall not be infringed means I don't have to account to them for guns I own, they are not allowed to make me have a permit to own or carry one. Unfortunately the government ignores this fact and passes law after stupid law infringing on our RTKBA.

[tcostell]

This is New Jersey. The neighbors will be out there with a metal detector trying to lead the cops to them.