01-25-2013, 06:55 PM
(01-25-2013, 04:02 PM)Midwest Spy Wrote:(01-25-2013, 03:53 PM)Maggot Wrote: Its the same as a person asking what religion you are or what political party you are or if you have a porn stash.
The problem is, your/my porn stash won't arbitrarily slaughter a group of people...
That's why you don't have to pass a background check to buy your porn and then register it.
I just don't think, MS, that it's any more accurate to generalize "all gun owners" as having sneaky or hidden agendas than it is to generalize "all non-gun owners" as being in favor of regulation and bureaucracy that serves no good purpose other than to infringe upon or vilify those who choose to bear arms. Many people in this thread have both agreed and disagreed with the same poster on different aspects of the gun control debate; depends on the point being addressed. I have however seen some of the extremists that you allude to (from both sides of the debate) in the media and elsewhere and agree with you that they are often irrational and counter-productive.
I too support stronger enforcement of laws against straw purchasers and respect gun dealers who refuse to sell to those whom they suspect of making a purchase for someone else. Also, no objection to requiring those who knowingly have a firearm stolen to report it right away.
Where I think that all gun owners and non gun-owners are justified in strongly objecting is when you have people like Chappelle-Nadol coming along and proposing to pass separate legislation, on top of the existing and future registration laws, requiring that the cross-section of gun owners with school aged children also provide the school district with that information. It's not about trying to hide anything. It's clearly a redundant exercise designed to put information in the hands of those who have no business or right to know, imo. Her contention that the school districts' lists would somehow "assist police in solving crimes" appears politically transparent and ignorant. Police already have access to gun registrations.
The school districts should be left to focus on activities that promote educating students and keeping the campus as safe as possible. If the senator instead wanted to head up a state-wide education and violence prevention/awareness campaign, I think that would be a worthwhile effort.