“I support the Manchin-Toomey Amendment”
Read the complete text of the amendment here
Dennis and I shortly after Sandy Hook talked on the phone about gun control. I shared my horror at what had happened again- psychotics shooting Americans en masse and too often getting away with it (via suicide). I suggested that Dennis take down his picture of him pointing a rifle at me, although I still liked the image of me and my Garand, a la Clint in Gran Torino (See picture below).
Both images are gone because this is serious stuff. A discussion of capitalism vs. socialism would be interesting to Dennis and I but would deserve a big “Meh” from our reading public. The reality of an armed society affects everyone directly, both good and bad regardless of our individual beliefs.
Since Diane Feinstein’s bill to ban “assault weapons” went public, the debate has been ugly. Wayne LaPierre has made me (almost) embarrassed to admit I am a Lifetime Member of the NRA. But what has disturbed me personally has been the demonization of gun owners in the media. So Dennis, I find your blog refreshing. Thank you. At the big event I am looking forward to meeting your parents, especially D.H.
So let’s take a quick look at the 2nd Amendment:
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
The Supreme Court’s 2008 decision in D.C. v. Heller for the first time ruled that the so-called “right to bear arms” is an individual not a collective right, just like the rest of the Bill of Rights. But as Sen. Schumer notes (Read Washington Post story here), this was good news and bad news for both sides. The power of the government to regulate the militia (i.e. the citizenry) was affirmed.
So let’s look at what is not protected by the constitution. The second amendment is not about hunting, collecting, or having fun with guns shooting cinder blocks (which by the way is great fun). It is about self-defense. It is about the constitutional right to use lethal force to defend oneself, subject to intensive regulation. It does NOT give constitutional protection to those engaged in armed rebellion against the Republic, whether the CPUSA, the Weatherman faction of SDS, or fascist hate groups like the Aryan Brotherhood. It does however remind us of how seriously the Founding Fathers took freedom from government oppression. When I was young, America was coming to grips with the concept of communism=fascism=totalitarianism. Sinclair Lewis in the 30s wrote the novel It can’t Happen Here about a fascist takeover of America. Well, if we believe that it can’t happen here, it is at our peril. Every time George Bush is called a fascist, and the President a commie, know that many do believe it can happen here. The 2nd amendment reminds of us to be vigilant as the stakes are high (See Gun Rights testimony form communism survivor).
But let’s get to specifics.
On the assault weapons ban: nope, can’t go there. The AR15 is a fine weapon that is excellent for self-defense. Mine groups 1-2 inches easy at 175 yards, and is not a piece of junk that is good only for shooting lots of bullets really fast. Diane Feinstein’s original bill posted on her website mandated that the banned weapons upon death of the owner would be surrendered to the government.
Banning High Capacity Magazines: Too late, too many out there. At this point the only way to make them scarce is confiscation on a massive scale. During the Clinton Ban years 30 round magazines for an AR15 were $80.00 bucks apiece. With expiration, they dropped to $10.00.
Expansion of Background checks: Not a problem with requiring background checks at gun shows. Most require this anyway. I have purchased one firearm at a show, and the seller insisted that I go through my local FFL. It will keep the riffraff out I suppose. The controversy was around the issue of private sales and record keeping. Sounds trivial but it isn’t. When a weapon is sold by an FFL (Federal Firearms Licensee), the weapon is registered- the FFL keeps the record of the sale, and these are available to the ATF and other law enforcement entities. But there is no national registry of gun owners. The N.I.C.S. data is erased within 24 hours of the check by federal law. Universal background checks to be meaningful practically speaking would require gun owners to keep track of their inventory and be subject to ATF inspection, i.e., create a national registry of gun owners. This is just common sense. While 80% or more of Americans favor expansion of background checks, only 40% favor creation of a registry. The compromise known as the Manchin-Toomey mandates that a national registry of gun owners NOT be created.
For more on what to do about gun violence in America, see my next blog and check back here for thoughts from Dennis about my commentary in this post.
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