Colorado Standing On The Slippery Slop of Civil Rights Killing Gun Control
Colorado Standing On The Slippery Slop of Civil Rights Killing Gun Control
Published on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Tags:Andy Lightbody|Civil Rights|Colorado|Democrats War on Guns|Gun Bans|Gun Control|Gun Free Zones
By Andy Lightbody
Grand Junction, Co. --(Ammoland.com)- Regardless of where you stand on new gun control regulations, Colorado lawmakers have without question, been asked by the Obama administration to “fall on their swords.”
With four very controversial gun control bills now headed for the State Senate, Colorado is the designated western state to use as a model other states to emulate.
If lawmakers can pass draconian bills in a state like Colorado, it will definitely have an effect on other states beyond those “progressive thinkers” in California, New Jersey, and New York.
The paramount problem is, none of these gun control regulations are going to do anything to curtail crime, stop a psycho from a mass slaughter, prevent a murder or do anything else but bolster the Administration’s war on legal gun owners and firearms possession.
With thousands of gun laws already on the books —Federal, State and local— it always has been and will be a question about how effectively are those laws being used and enforced?
Firearms are inanimate objects, with no malicious intent. It’s the criminal/psycho behind any object that perpetrates a violent act. McVeigh used explosives in the OKC bombing. The 9/11 hijackers used box cutters. The 26,146 adults and juveniles arrested for DUIs (2011) that resulted in 185 fatalities, used a vehicle. The psycho at the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting, used stolen firearms.Blaming firearms as the core of evil is like blaming stairs as the cause for someone falling down. It simply does not wash.
Banning firearm magazines that can hold more than 15-rounds isn’t based on any scientific data about crime, murders or shootings. In fact, of the 7,400 illegal firearms confiscated in Chicago last year, only 4% could be categorized as the infamous “assault-type” guns. Of those 300 firearms, some of them were .22 rifles and many even had 5-7 shot magazines.
In addition, the idea that universal background checks will deter a criminal or a psycho is extremely weak. At present, there is no way to ensure that a mentally ill individual will be stopped from purchasing a firearm, even with a background check. Federal firearm purchase forms already question an individual’s mental health. Unfortunately, Colorado, like most other states have made it nearly impossible to secure any sort of mental health records and identify those who could put themselves or others at risk.
And paying for these background checks? Many liken it to the old days where some had to pay in order to exercise their right to vote. Call it a tax, or call it a fee, somehow if an individual doesn’t have to pay to exercise their right to vote, they shouldn’t have to pay to exercise their right to the 2nd Amendment.
Finally the idea that we are once again reinforcing Gun Free Zones on our campuses, is like hanging a “welcome criminals here,” banner. Gun Free Zones in the past have only announced that there is no one here that is armed and capable of stopping a madman. The 2012 case initiated here in Colorado by Students For Concealed Carry and brought before the Colorado Supreme Court, affirmed that students and faculty with a valid Concealed Carry Permit, were allowed that right for self-protection.
Now, that right is also being challenged, with Colorado State lawmakers such as state representative Joe Salazar (D) telling female students they are better protected against assault/rape by having on campus safe zones, emergency call boxes and rape whistles, rather than having a firearm, a permit and knowing how to use it.
Or the infinite wisdom of CU in Colorado Springs telling women in a campus sponsored in-class training called Rape Aggression Defense (RAD), and as part of their “10 points of last resort,” that they should tell their attacker that they “have a disease or are menstruating.” Or that “vomiting or urinating may also convince the attacker to leave you alone.”
These four bills— HB13-1224, HB13-1226, HB13-1228, and HB13-1229 are now headed to the State Senate and if passed, will likely be signed into law by Governor Hickenlooper. State Senator Gail Schwartz has yet to take a public position on these bills. E-mail and calls to the Senator’s office have not been responded to.
With the passage of these bills, not only will Colorado become the “western state poster child” for such laws on a national level, it will also punish the law-abiding Colorado firearm’s owner for crimes and violence that he or she will likely never commit. And opening the door to additional bans—firearm types, accessories, ammunition—while further assaulting the 2nd Amendment.
All this, while doing nothing to use all the existing laws that are on the books, against the criminal or the crazy.
(Andy Lightbody is an outdoor writer and broadcaster, and owns Rocky Mountain Television/Productions. He is the former Senior Editor at Petersen’s Hunting Magazine, and Editor of the Outdoor Book Division for Guns & Ammo Publications. He is a Field Editor for Sportsman’s News Magazine; Contributor for AmmoLand.com, Contributor for the OutdoorHub.com and other websites.
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