Of course he does. Never mind that it will make armed self defense for lower income people — some of those who need it most — harder or impossible to afford . . .
Gov. Phil Murphy is proposing to significantly hike fees for buying and selling firearms in New Jersey, a move that would raise the cost of gun permits and licenses for the first time in half a century and likely trigger a legal challenge from Second Amendment advocates.
Murphy, a Democrat who has already signed half a dozen gun control bills in his first few months in office, has publicly called for raising such fees.
“It’s hard to believe it’s actually cheaper to get a permit to purchase a handgun, which is $2, than it is to get a dog license in practically any town in our state,” Murphy said at a June 13 bill signing.
Editor’s note: Reiner called to clarify his position after the story was posted. He said that he would support requiring new hires to obtain gun carry permits, while exempting teachers and others already on the job.
A municipal elected official in Hunterdon County is drawing criticism from the state’s largest teachers union after asserting that only educators authorized to carry weapons should be allowed in N.J. schools.
Raritan Township Committee member Louis Carl Reiner argued that state lawmakers should approve legislation “making concealed carrying of a firearm mandatory as a condition of employment,” in a five-paragraph letter posted by TAP Into Flemington/Raritan.
Such experiences are as old as humanity. Tyrants, conquerors, and dictatorships of every breed disarm the subjects in order to dominate and exploit them. Does that iron law of history mean anything today?
No such conditions exist in the United States, due in no small part to our rights protected by the First and Second Amendments. But history should teach us to be careful of what we wish for.
Require registration of, or ban, guns arbitrarily called “assault weapons” or even all firearms? Don’t bank on much compliance. Impose felony penalties? As the wartime French illustrated, many wouldn’t comply even with the threat of the death penalty.
Maybe it’s time to pursue real solutions to criminal violence and forget about a war on law-abiding gun owners.
A Boston Globe reporter ventures out among the deplorables and reports back from the wild . . .
My prejudices came with me. A firearm, loaded or not, is menacing. A “cold” shooting range, with flags flapping to signal it’s safe to walk across, is still scary. But I did learn something. I started off believing there’s no reason for a nonmilitary person to own a semiautomatic rifle. After firing one, case closed. …
Gun rights advocates believe semiautomatic rifles should be available for competitive shooting, where participants follow strict safety rules. Hunters use these weapons, too, and it’s easy to see why: A woodchuck wouldn’t stand a chance. Then there’s the NRA’s favorite argument: A good guy with a gun can stop a bad guy with a gun.
Yet if someone like me can easily hit a target, it’s terrifying to imagine the same weapon in the hands of someone on a mission to kill. Actually, there’s no need to imagine it. Just watch the news.
It’s almost as if criminals don’t really pay attention to gun control laws . . .
Some of the seized guns displayed at the Friday news conference came in teal, gold and orange colours.
Toronto police Deputy Chief Jim Ramer said the different colours were a first for him, adding that it was “very concerning” how easily the guns could be mistaken for a toy.
Officers are being warned not to dismiss any potential gun threats because of their appearance, he said.
“I commented that the one in orange looked like a water pistol my granddaughter has,” Ramer told reporters.
Hey kids! The NRA sweethearts are relaxing, and why not? School’s out, no mass shootings for…gee, whole weeks now! Don’t let up. Semi-auto rifles–known to my grandkids as “school shooter guns”–need to go.
