One
of our state historians once wrote, correctly.."Kentucky waited til the
Civil War was over to join the loser."
Just
when you think we can put that part of our past behind us, the state senate
votes heavily in favor of an NRA-sponsored bill which denies our history (our
American history that is.)
The
bill, passed 34-3, would allow the state to "ignore" U-S laws it
doesn't like..specifically federal gun laws.
Shades
of "nullification"....secession...The Glorious Cause..and that
"peculiar institution!"
We
are one United States, an issue settled (?) 150 years ago..States may not
"opt out" of federal programs they don't like, unless the law
provides for that, as in the case of Medicaid expansion. All, that is, all
court decisions challenging this doctrine have been decided that way.
So
why does Kentucky now think it can bring back the discredited doctrine of
"nullification?" To pander, that's why. To the NRA, to certain rural
constituencies, and to people with no knowledge of American history,
apparently. As Lexington Senator Kathy Stein, one of the 3 "No" votes
said,"No one is coming to take your gun." But this is what the NRA
feeds on..that fear...not an honest defense of the Second Amendment.
Explain
to me how closing the gun show loophole by universal background checks violates
the Second Amendment..when the non-gun show stores have been doing it for
years, and no case against that has been upheld. People who claim the proposed
new laws "violate the Second Amendment", the usual cry, should be
made to show precisely where and how..because in many cases it's just not true.
You
and I may not buy a "machine gun"--no Second Amendment challenge to
this 70 year old law has been upheld. So why does a ban on assault rifles, many
of which shoot faster than any "Tommy" gun, violate that amendment?
In
time the courts will doubtless straighten out all these "lawyer"
bills, but in the meantime is it really too much to ask that the Kentucky
General Assembly understand our history...both the American Revolution and the
Civil War???
I'm just sayin'...
The gun show loophole does need to be closed. As far as machine guns go, you and I (assuming you are not a convicted felon) can legally buy a machine gun if you pay the $200 transfer tax on top of the hefty price of a pre-1986 manufactured machinegun. The type of assault rifle which is to be banned is semi-automatic which means it fires one bullet each time you pull the trigger. "Tommy" guns and other automatic weapons fire continuously as the trigger is held - thus firing faster than the present semi-automatic rifles being considered for bannning again. The gun show loophole should be closed in its own legislation. The banning of "assault rifles" which do look like military weapons but do not function the same is a flashy way to say "I am fighting crime!" while in reality this type of weapon is used in a miniscule percentage of crimes.
ReplyDeleteEnforcing current gun laws would be a step forward, but many people seeking to circumvent prohibitions on purchase and many felons caught with weapons are never charged with the appropriate crime.
And I agree 100% with your contention that the KY Legiaslator is pandering to special interests with this inane statement that they will preempt the US Supreme Copurt in deciding the constituionality of federal laws.
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