Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Anti-gun shenanigans

I'll agree with Rep. Ron Paul on this--the gun control bill making its way through Congress is, in fact, "a flagrantly unconstitutional expansion of restriction on the exercise of the right to bear arms."

By itself, the bill is no great shakes. It tightens existing restrictions by firming up reporting requirements to make it easier for government folk to know who is legally disqualified from purchasing firearms.

The legislation approved Wednesday would require states to automate and share disqualifying records with the FBI's NICS database. The bill also provides $250 million a year over the next three years to help states meet those goals and imposes penalties, including cuts in federal grants under an anti-crime law, to those states that fail to meet benchmarks for automating their systems and supplying information to the NICS.

The bill, then, builds on the contemptible Gun Control Act of 1968, which put into place many of the modern violations of the individual right to own, buy, sell and carry weapons. The new measure would just tighten the shackles by a few turns.

That the National Rifle Association supports the current bill is just further evidence that the NRA, far from being a pro-liberty organization, is really just one of the more moderate members of the gun-control lobby.

The best response to intrusive regulation is a healthy underground market. Transactions conducted outside the law have a much better chance of preserving and extending freedom than those conducted under the watchful eyes of our would-be masters. Stay armed, folks, and keep your guns unregistered.

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