Four out of every 10 Americans own a gun. And nearly 3 out of 4 believe that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual the right to have a firearm. Recent Gallup polls show that only 38 percent of Americans think the most important way to combat gun violence is through stricter gun laws; 58 percent believe more should be done to enforce current laws instead. And more than two thirds oppose an outright ban on handguns
People might not have a problem with laws intended to get illegal firearms and the criminals who use them off the street. But the operant word in that sentence is "intended."
The minority community will scream "RACIAL PROFILING!" because in the inner cities where many of these illegal guns are found and where crimes involving illegal guns occur, it's minorities who are using the illegal guns and committing the crimes. They will argue the law is "intended" to oppress minorities and tell the larger community that minorities are criminals and scum unworthy of fair treatment.
The legal firearms owners will scream "HARASSMENT!" because I have no doubt that the moment the police find a legally owned firearm in a car or in a home, the owner will be dragged out of the car, smacked onto the hood and frisked, or slammed into the wall and told to spread 'em and shut up. I have not forgotten the footage from Hurricane Katrina where the NOPD acted like stormtroopers toward an inoffensive black grandmother! Much depends on how the "intentions" of such a law would be carried out.
Besides, how are they going to decide what's legal and what's not legal? Are the police going to get warrants for every house and apartment in town and search them? At present we don't have to register longarms. Might such a law require "legal" firearms to be "registered firearms?" The people will balk at that.
Somehow, it seems that laws "intended" to curb illegal firearms end up being aimed at those who legally use legally purchased firearms instead - because they are easier, less risky targets than the criminals the laws are intended to target. What we need are laws that make it easier for honest citizens to own guns, not more laws "intended" to attack the crooks who use illegal ones.
Everybody should be able to own a gun. If the owner is found guilty of using it in the commission of a crime then the gun can be taken and the owner imprisoned for a long time.
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