New firearm bill attempts to restrict citizens’ rights

By JORDAN JERNIGAN

With all the recent talk of universal healthcare and more government, it is no question that a larger, more intrusive government is being unveiled in this country. It would appear that bigger government has its eyes on a familiar target; the rights of citizens to ownership of firearms. This past January a bill sponsored by Illinois Congressmen Bobby Rush was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill, known as H.R. 45 or “Blair Holt’s Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act,” bears many concerns for legally abiding gun owners.

The new bill would require all individuals who wish to purchase a firearm to follow a lengthy and prohibitively obtrusive application process. This process includes, but is not limited to, a passport size photo of the individual, any nickname that the individual has ever been known by, a clear thumb print of the individual, a certificate attesting that the individual will keep any firearm owned by the individual safely out of anyone who is not 18 years old, and a certificate attesting to the completion of a written fire arms application.

The bill would give the Attorney Generals of each respected state unprecedented power. According to the bill, “the Attorney General may, during regular business hours, enter any place in which firearms or firearms products are manufactured, stored, or held, for distribution in commerce, and inspect those areas where the products are so manufactured, stored, or held.” The bill never mentions the words warrant or probable cause in order to conduct one of these inspections.

Another drawback of this bill is the enormous amount of paperwork and governmental red tape that will result. With the United States already in possession of a nearly 12 trillion dollar debt, how will all these new administrative jobs be funded? The only way it seems feasible is to continue to spend our way into more debt.

While some gun laws are necessary, this bill appears to be nothing more than the government seeking to further expand its influence into the lives of law abiding citizens. It is nothing more than a trounce on rights guaranteed by the Constitution. This bill will not affect the criminals that are currently breaking the law anyway. Criminals will continue to break the law and obtain possession of firearms illegally.

Our Founding Fathers knew that fair gun rights were vital to maintaining a sense of balance in this country because at great cost, they had just finished defending individual rights from an overbearing tyrannical government. Let us keep that balance from being eroded.