It appears that last night in the midst of a bill signing frenzy, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill that would require retail establishments to not only restrict sales of handgun ammunition to behind the counter displays but would ALSO require those purchasing ammo to be fingerprinted and register in a data base that will be monitored by law enforcement and other government agencies (law will be effective February 1, 2011)
While I'm not a "locked and loaded" gun happy type, there is no arguing that this law sets a dangerous precedent and chips away at the 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.. There is no argument that guns in the hands of the wrong people, kill people.. Unfortunately though, the people that utilize guns for that purpose tend to buy their weapons and ammo on the black market, meaning that a Gang member or Mexican drug smuggler wouldn't be going into a Wal-Mart and buying ammunition for their guns.. They would buy from organized crime syndicates or underground gun shows..
Again, California lawmakers have missed the mark on this bill and the cost is the personal freedoms of law-abiding gun owners that use these to protect their homes or their families.. While I object to many uses for firearms, I do believe in the right to bear arms for personal protection against a violent criminal who would commit an act such as burglary, rape or even worse to one's person or loved ones..
During cold and flu season, I am reminded of California's "Nanny State" laws that curtail freedoms but do nothing to solve the actual problem.. The example is the law that requires Photo I.D. to purchase cold and flu medication in order to prevent folks from making "do it yourself" meth labs.. With meth still flowing freely through much of California's Central Valley (and in other parts of the state), one has to wonder, what exactly has been resolved here? And the other question (one that was brought up during the Prop 8 debate regarding Gay Marriage but would still apply here) is: If we are allowed to infringe upon gun owner's rights WHO will be next?
