WH Petition: All US Citizens must own a Firearm

[baekacaek]

What a waste of time. Being forced to do something no longer makes it a right. Owning a gun is a right and must remain so.

[Dragunov]

Signed, confirmed.

[cvigue]

So we're requiring felons and the mentally unstable to own firearms now. Brilliant.

We need fewer half-baked crackpots creating petitions, is what we need.

[BlueOvalBandit]

Yeah... no... I believe in the right to choose whether or not to exercise my rights not the government ramming down my throat how I exercise them. It's a slippery slope, if someone is telling you, "you have to do xyz" is it a right?

[kcbrown]

I've been pondering this one for a bit.

Congress most certainly has the legitimate power to enact legislation such as that proposed here. That power flows from the militia clause in Article I:

The Congress shall have Power ...

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

One can hardly dispute that lack of training in and exposure to firearms is largely responsible for the degree of opposition to the right to arms that we see in urban populations (that degree, of course, varies wildly even between urban populations). Indeed, the mantra that we should take "liberals" shooting is based on that very observation.

While those who would misuse firearms do exist in our midst, the risk of that misuse goes with the territory, as it does with any liberty. It is an inescapable fact that any capability that individuals have will be misused by some. As such, objections on that basis are irrelevant. The plain fact is that people who would misuse firearms will tend to weed themselves out of a well-armed population, firstly from the response of those whom they would harm (or those nearby), and secondly by law enforcement after the fact.

Now, the question isn't really whether or not Congress has the power to pass such legislation. It's really a question of what that legislation should look like, what sort of approach should be taken to reach the stated goal, etc. There are, of course, idiotic ways of approaching this (passing a law which merely mandates firearm ownership and nothing more pretty much amounts to that). But there are wise ways of approaching it as well. For instance, a stepwise approach that first mandates firearm training for the civilian population (this can come in a variety of forms, and which one is most suitable depends on one's timeline -- if one is sufficiently patient, then mandating firearm training in school curricula will serve the purpose relatively well, but you'll have to wait a generation before those who trained become eligible for firearm ownership), and then demands firearm ownership only after said training has been completed, would accomplish the goal while addressing the concerns of all but the religiously anti-RKBA folks.

If we insist on maintaining the law which says that people with felony convictions are barred the ownership and use of firearms, then an exception to that effect can be placed into the law. Of course, such people will acquire and use firearms anyway, but that is a tangent that we needn't follow here.


In any case, the bottom line here is that the spirit of this petition is in the right place, but the details matter, and they are not specified in the petition. I believe that many here object to it on the basis of the worst possible way such legislation could be written, rather than thinking the whole thing through. But that's just my impression of what I've read here thus far.

[enegue]

Just FYI, anyone can make a petition for anything.

[cvigue]

I believe that many here object to it on the basis of the worst possible way such legislation could be written, rather than thinking the whole thing through. But that's just my impression of what I've read here thus far.

I object to this and similar half-cocked notions because it makes us legitimately look like a bunch of illiterate loons. The concept is not bad, but perhaps, instead of rushing out to create the petition between dinner and the evening news, the text should be posted for critique and rework HERE or someplace similar until it is more polished.

[kcbrown]

I object to this and similar half-cocked notions because it makes us legitimately look like a bunch of illiterate loons. The concept is not bad, but perhaps, instead of rushing out to create the petition between dinner and the evening news, the text should be posted for critique and rework HERE or someplace similar until it is more polished.

Well, sure, I certainly can't disagree with that, but much of what I'm reading here seems to be reacting to the contents of the petition itself rather than the circumstances under which it was put forth. My comments are intended to address that, rather than to criticisms such as yours.

[Jimi Jah]

Just FYI, anyone can make a petition for anything.

And they all result in the same thing = nothing.

[Mute]

I don't want people telling me I can't own guns so I certainly don't want to tell someone else they have to own a gun if they don't want to.

[kcbrown]

I don't want people telling me I can't own guns so I certainly don't want to tell someone else they have to own a gun if they don't want to.

I agree with the sentiment. That said: how do you expect to perform your duties as a member of the unorganized militia if you don't own a firearm?

[MultiCaliber]

Won't sign. There are many people who shouldn't own firearms for more reasons than criminal or mental health reasons. Many of them know this and therefore don't own them. Forcing everyone to have one is on par with as dumb as forcing everyone to give them up.

[kcbrown]

This isn't Switzerland. And there are many people who shouldn't own firearms for more reasons than criminal or mental health reasons.

How and why are we any different than Switzerland in that regard?

[Dano3467]

This has all kinds of wrong on it.

[MultiCaliber]

How and why are we any different than Switzerland in that regard?

Ok, you got me. I'll admit when I say something stupid if someone calls me on it.

But, to be fair, if such legislation required firearms training instead of or in addition to, ownership of a firearm, I could be persuaded. Also, if someone wanted to "opt-out" of owning a firearm, there should be a way included to do that. As that "temporary PTSD" "journalist" demonstrated, handling a firearm and being told/shown that they are not autonomous machines of death and mass destruction can't fix the stupid some people have when it comes to guns.