🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <Roger_Walker.2xro@CUEHere.Edmonton.AB.CA> Roger_Walker@CUEHere.Edmonton.AB.CA (C U E Here Sysop) writes:
>
>- Require safety and handling education for anyone wanting to own and use a
>firearm. A certificate of successful completion or, better yet, a wallet
>sized card, would be all that's required to acquire and use firearms.

I am in favor of this in principle, but against it in practice.

Once the government has been given this kind of "you can have a gun
when we say you can" control, it is unfortunately not long before
this power is abused.  There are too many people, legislators, and
government officials who dislike the idea of the private ownership
if firearms, and as a result there will be a constant push for the
the easy requirements you describe above to be tightened "just a little
bit".  And a little bit more, and a little bit more, and so on until
it becomes nearly (or entirely) impossible to get a firearm at all.
This has already occurred in many of the places in the US where cities
or states have instituted such controls.  In one place, the required
class was given once a year, for thirty (politically connected) students.
In another, the commission whose reason for existence was issuing permits
issued zero permits in a three year period.  In another, all you had to
do was fill out a form, but they were "out of forms" for a number of
years.

Sorry, it's a bad idea to set things up so you have to get the
government's permission before you can do something.  Some people
might feel driven to respond that that's what we do with cars, but
actually it isn't.  You don't need anyone's permission to buy or
own a car, or to operate it on private property (on a farm or ranch,
or for racing purposes).  You only need permission to drive it on
public roads.
-- 
"Don't tread on me"