Let’s be clear about “smart guns.” American gun buyers don’t want firearms equipped with an authorized-user recognition system because they don’t trust the technology. They don’t trust “smart guns” to fire when they need them to. They don’t trust the government not to disable the guns remotely. The first issue can be overcome. The second can not. Which pretty much dooms “smart guns” to a niche market. At best. But it’s nowhere near best, thanks to the New Jersey legislature . . .
As the Springfield (MO) News-Leader points out (re-published by usatoday.com), New Jersey lawmakers have passed a bill that mandates that all guns sold in the Garden State must be “smart guns” three years after any example of this type of weapon is commercially anywhere available in the U.S. market. Any American gun store that sells a smart gun will trigger New Jersey’s “dumb gun” death clock.
Which is why the two stores that almost put “smart guns” on their shelves received immediate and — let’s face it — immoderate negative feedback. So much so that they reconsidered and rescinded their decision. And who can blame them? Would you want to be the gun store responsible for restricting New Jersey citizens’ gun rights?
Question: where do you see the letters NRA in any of this? USA Today headlines the article Proponents of ‘smart guns’ say NRA is the main obstacle. Strangely (or not), writer Steve Pokin makes no distinction between these proponents (well one) and his own editorial judgement.
The main opponent is the National Rifle Association. But it will not speak. The Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader left six messages on the phone and with a secretary over two weeks for the one spokesman designated to talk to the media, Andrew Arulanandam, in the national office in Virginia. He did not respond. Eventually, the newspaper requested someone — anyone — to send a statement on the group’s position on smart guns. The organization did not reply.
I’m a little confused. If the NRA is the main opponent of smart guns and they won’t speak on the subject, how are they the technology’s main opponent? The NRA didn’t contact the gun stores in question. The NRA didn’t exhort their members to do so. In fact, the owner of Engage Armament is clear about the level of NRA opposition to his plan to sell an Armatix “smart gun.” In the article.
People [who called to express their objections to selling the gun] weren’t reasonable, he says. But not one of his critics identified himself as being from the NRA.
“The NRA did not do anything,” he says.
Once again, the anti-gun mainstream media blame the NRA for obstructing “progress” on “gun safety” and find a patsy to promote their anti-pistol proclivities. In fact, it’s the New Jersey legislature that done did the deed.
While millions of gun owners wouldn’t touch “smart guns” with a proverbial ten-foot pole, they don’t oppose the technology per se. If New Jersey had allowed the free market to decide what does and doesn’t work for gun owners, if they hadn’t infringed of citizens’ gun rights – again, still – firearms with user-recognition systems would be on sale today. They have no one to blame for gun owners’ opposition but themselves.