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Old January 28, 2009, 04:43 PM   #11
dburkhead
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 10, 2008
Posts: 116
Quote:
The problem with this approach is that all the government needs to do to keep guns out of the hands of more and more people is to expand what crimes are classified as a felony,
In fact, that's what's been happening. Entirely too many things are "felonies" these days. And most of the "should never be allowed to own guns again" level crimes are really up there at the "should never be allowed to walk the streets again" level. And we've already got at least one misdemeanor that forever prohibits one from owning guns.

My "issue" with it isn't even at the question of whether or not someone who, at some time in the past, has been convicted of a felony should or should not be permitted to own guns. It's the means of enforcing that. For other things that criminals are prohibited from doing (like leaving the state if one is on probation/parole), it is not up to the individual vendors to enforce that, to call in to the State and check that someone wishing to purchase an out of state ticket or someone from out of state renting a house or room is not violating parole by doing so. It's up to agents of the government (police and parole officers) to check up on the felons and arrest those found in violation.

I don't object to suspension of various rights (such as the 2nd and the 4th) being part of a criminal sentence. The 5th states "nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law" implying that with due process one can be deprived of liberty. What I object is making me legally responsible for enforcing those sentence provisions. What I object to is the government enforcing those provisions on me.
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