OK, just saw this on ABC7Chicago.
Rush proposed a national registry of firearms and national "possessor" licensing (including mandatory gun safety training of some sort), comparing it to a driver's license and car registrations. Since one can own any type of motor vehicle AND since one can drive it anywhere, including government-owned land or parking it on government-owned property, or, for that matter, one can drive/park onto private employer property...OK, instead of fighting it, how about amending it when it is submitted to include:
1. Scrapping NFA '34 and the bad parts of FOPA '86, since all firearms will be registered anyway. Select-fire, SBS/SBR, AOW, suppressors, attachment of a shoulder stock to a pistol, etc. No taxes or additional fees, no limitations, all state and local rules to the contrary get struck down. New MGs can be purchased by anyone.
2. CCW AND open carry in all 50 states, no government-regulated Criminal Empowerment Zones. Private employers CAN restrict carrying in the workplace but CANNOT restrict leaving weapons in the vehicle - but are liable for break-ins and theft.
3. Training at a reasonable cost and within a reasonable time - no "Government Facility that has a 20 year waiting list, takes 2000 hours and costs $10k, plus $5k per weapon or attachment, yearly training and yearly fees." Basically, using average or mean existing CCW qualifiers. I'm not gonna lose sleep over whether it should be 35 hours, 40 hours or 41.647 hours, and cost $50/5 years, $40/4 years, or $50/4years.
Embrace it with amendments, then publicly chide the hoplophobes why they are not rushing to pass this important legislation to get the guns out of the hands of criminals. [sarcasm] After all, they're only anti-gun-violence, not anti-gun. [/sarcasm]
Oh yeah, 300+ million guns and what, 100+ million lawful owners? Ya think the registry might just collapse under all that weight? Show them that to save money, register owners instead. IL and NJ already have FOID, some states have handgun permits, and isn't CCW a "government license" already? Would you openly acknowledge that you're a gunowner (as opposed to making the gov't work for it) in exchange for new goodies AND striking down most of the "20,000 gun laws" already on the books?
Sunday, Congressman Bobby Rush will introduce 'Blair's Bill,' which is aimed at creating a uniform system for purchasing certain firearms. The bill is named after Blair Holt, the Chicago teen who was shot to death last month on board a CTA bus.
Rush proposed a national registry of firearms and national "possessor" licensing (including mandatory gun safety training of some sort), comparing it to a driver's license and car registrations. Since one can own any type of motor vehicle AND since one can drive it anywhere, including government-owned land or parking it on government-owned property, or, for that matter, one can drive/park onto private employer property...OK, instead of fighting it, how about amending it when it is submitted to include:
1. Scrapping NFA '34 and the bad parts of FOPA '86, since all firearms will be registered anyway. Select-fire, SBS/SBR, AOW, suppressors, attachment of a shoulder stock to a pistol, etc. No taxes or additional fees, no limitations, all state and local rules to the contrary get struck down. New MGs can be purchased by anyone.
2. CCW AND open carry in all 50 states, no government-regulated Criminal Empowerment Zones. Private employers CAN restrict carrying in the workplace but CANNOT restrict leaving weapons in the vehicle - but are liable for break-ins and theft.
3. Training at a reasonable cost and within a reasonable time - no "Government Facility that has a 20 year waiting list, takes 2000 hours and costs $10k, plus $5k per weapon or attachment, yearly training and yearly fees." Basically, using average or mean existing CCW qualifiers. I'm not gonna lose sleep over whether it should be 35 hours, 40 hours or 41.647 hours, and cost $50/5 years, $40/4 years, or $50/4years.
Embrace it with amendments, then publicly chide the hoplophobes why they are not rushing to pass this important legislation to get the guns out of the hands of criminals. [sarcasm] After all, they're only anti-gun-violence, not anti-gun. [/sarcasm]
Oh yeah, 300+ million guns and what, 100+ million lawful owners? Ya think the registry might just collapse under all that weight? Show them that to save money, register owners instead. IL and NJ already have FOID, some states have handgun permits, and isn't CCW a "government license" already? Would you openly acknowledge that you're a gunowner (as opposed to making the gov't work for it) in exchange for new goodies AND striking down most of the "20,000 gun laws" already on the books?