Han wrote:


Well, Mike, The current sharply increasing rate of weapons going out
to people who may not be able to use them or protect them is a real
fear of mine. As you might have gathered, I have nothing against
knowledgable people possessing and using firearms responsibly.

I don't follow it, so I don't know - but what is the "sharply increasing
rate of weapons going out to people who may not be able to use them..." that
you state?


So why not register those firearms, so there is a way to trace a
weapon that escapes responsible control? So we can, hey Joe, you
used to have a (X), but didn't report it stolen, and now it was used
in (Y) illegal way. How come?

Well, the most common argument is that those registration requirements have
not proven very beneficial over a long period of time. Again - feel good
laws. Beyond that there have been stricter requirements based on the same
sort of thinking. NY used to have a COBiS law which required all handguns
sold in the state to be accompanied by a spent casing which had to be sent
to the NYSP for identification if that gun were ever used in a crime. In
all of the years that was in effect, a huge database of spent casing
characterisics was built - and never once used to solve a crime or convict a
criminal. The law sure felt good to people who saw the "common sense" in it
and knowing no better, felt it must be a good thing. Now - it has been
de-funded because all that ever did was impose administrative burdens on the
NYSP, and never fulfilled against its promise.


Is that really too much to ask? How does that infringe anyone's
rights?

It's not always that legislation infringes on rights. There are other
reasons to be more aware of these things. Reasons like - even though that
sounds good to your ear - it does not work as you thought.

--

-Mike-