02-24-2017, 12:00 PM
(02-24-2017, 11:14 AM)Au165 Wrote: I think the Legislator draws that line, and as long as that line isn't a ban on them, or to ban them through some back door restriction like outlawing bullets, then that is the proper application of our system of checks and balances.
(02-24-2017, 11:20 AM)michaelsean Wrote: But it's a constitutional amendment so do the state legislatures have that right?
Yes and no to both of these statements. Leaving it to the legislature creates a confusing mish mash of firearms law that vary wildly by state. As is, someone from Texas moving to California would have to, if they followed the law, sell a large percentage of their legally purchased firearms and magazines. Additionally, people have been arrested for concealed carry simply for crossing a state border. At one moment they were a law abiding citizen and the next they were a felon by dint of geography. I'm not saying this is an epidemic but it illustrates the problems with allowing this issue to be decided on a state by state basis. Creating felons out of law abiding citizens is bad legislation.
The words "common sense" get used a lot in the gun control argument. This is just a semantic ploy to cast opponents in a poor light. After all, who could be against something that's common sense? Usually, or almost always, what is proposed is not common sense at all. If you used common sense then .50 rifles wouldn't be banned in CA when a .416 Barrett is at least as powerful and deadly, or a .338 Lapua for that matter. The problem is that these laws are frequently drafted by politicians with zero to less than zero knowledge of firearms. Real common sense legislation would be to ban something that has no practical civilian purpose; i.e. fully automatic weapons, rocket launchers, artillery, armed tanks etc. Any person knowledgeable about firearms will tell you that what is commonly mislabeled an "assault weapon" absolutely has a legitimate self defense civilian purpose. Hand guns are not the ideal means of self defense and are only useful in that they are more easily portable and concealed.
The sad thing is that there is absolutely room for common ground on this issue, law abiding citizens who are pro 2A don't want guns in the hands of criminals either. A large percentage of the gun control side of this equation is, unfortunately, disingenuous about what their real goal is and thus aren't trusted on any control measure by the pro 2A side.
