🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1993Mar12.001937.26986@watson.ibm.com> mjp@vnet.ibm.com 
(Michael J. Phelps) writes:
>Perform a point of sale check on handgun purchasers to ensure legality of the
>transaction.  The check must have balances, so that a denial can be righted
>without resorting to lawsuits (a right to appeal - even criminals have that!).
>It must penalize authorities who abuse the systems.

I feel a little ambivalent about background checks but would support what
you're saying, as long as there was no record kept when a person was
checked.

>In return, I want to ensure that any citizen who passes the background check
>[not ajudicated mentally incompetent, not a criminal] can get a handgun 
>legally.  Now theres no reason why anyone should own a handgun illegally. 
 Throw the damm
>book at anyone who has one illegally.

Only if they've done something wrong with it (assault, brandishment,
attempted murder).

>What am i risking?
>
> - i have to trust that the goverment will not be able to make the OAL rules
>   absurd, or change the rules to screw the law abiding.

A little naive, I'm afraid.  Witness the "assault weapon" registration in
several places, e.g., New Jersey and New York City.  Many people complied
and were later screwed when those weapons were banned.

Of course, since then relatively few have complied with similar registration
requirements in other states...

>What does it mean?
>
> - there would be a clear standard to be measured by.  It would be abundantly
>   clear, for example, that a semi automatic rifle longer than the OAL rule 
>   would be legal.  
>
> - Anyone who could own a handgun could own a Tec-9, if they so desired.  
>Frankly,  i'd take the handgun!

Same here!

>Could it happen?  I don't know.  I've seen enough goverment regulations be 
>abused (look at the Sullivan laws in NY state; some counties abuse it, some
>don't.  I live in one that doesn't, but if i lived in Ulster county, its a 
>different story); i'm deeply suspicious not by nature, but by experience.
>
>What do you think?

Frankly, I'm skeptical.  

    don