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shaggy · February 2, 2006, 08:27 PM

Confiscations? LEOs going house to house?

Baloney.

As much as it pains me to say it, I truly believe the 2nd Amendment will die a slow death over a period of decades and eventually pass into irrelevance with little notice by the public. We're just watching the very beginning stages of the cancer now. Just look at the timeline of major federal gun control legislation:

1934 -(34 years)- 1968 -(18 years)- 1986 -(8 years)- 1994

Certainly it seems to be accelerating, but keep in mind the worst component of the 1994 legislation had to include a time limit to pass and is now expired.

The relevant point being, the elimination of the 2nd Amendment is not something the government is going to accomplish in a short period and they know it. This is something that could take several generations and I think the government is prepared to let it die a long slow death. Despite all the chest-thumping going on here, I doubt any of us wil live long enough to see the final nails put in the coffin of the 2nd Amendment.

Every year more and more ranges and open land that used to be used fo shooting and hunting gets shut down because of urban sprawl and new housing developments. Fewer places to shoot translates into less interest in guns. Less interest in guns means less market. Less market means financial death of the manufacturers.

Initiatives like ballistic fingerprinting and integral gun locks. These increase the cost of guns and place them out of the financial reach of more people. Again, it boils down to a diminished market and financial death for the manufacturers. We've already seen it in some states and those ideas are spreading.

All out bans. Lets face it, if you think there won't be another "assault weapons ban" you need to put down the crack pipe. The democrats and gun banners won't make the same mistakes they made in 1994 again, and the next one will be far more comprehensive. It may be another 20years before they can get something like that through or it could be right after the next presidential election. It will happen though, and when it does, people will be able to keep what they've got, but those guns will eventually break down, fail, and turn into expensive clubs when their owners can't get parts to maintain and service them. Eventually, no one will care about the rusty old M1A sitting in the corner because it doesn't work and you can't get parts for it anyway.

Ammo. All Congress has to do is pass a significant tax on ammo and components and we're all on borrowed time. When Senator Monihan (sp?) was in the senate, I think he proposed a 10,000% tax on ammo every year. He's gone now, but I'm sure there's some people in Congress who have those very same ideas. Think about 'sin taxes' on other products at the state level - a box of cigarettes costs about $8 in NYC, most of which is tax. Now think of the effect if a similar tax was enacted nationally on ammo & components. Its not nearly as far-fetched as LEOs going house to house.

Bottom line is the government will slowly strangle the life out of the manufacturers and the market, reducing the public's interest in guns to the point where very few people will own guns or care about those who do. I think they're prepared to let it take decades if need be to avoid the cost, logistical problems, and inherent dangers for something so stupid and ridiculous as going house to house to collect them when millions of households have guns. It will be a very slow death by incrementalism.

Frog, meet pot...

February 2, 2006, 08:27 PM	#115
shaggy Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2004 Posts: 1,519	Confiscations? LEOs going house to house? Baloney. As much as it pains me to say it, I truly believe the 2nd Amendment will die a slow death over a period of decades and eventually pass into irrelevance with little notice by the public. We're just watching the very beginning stages of the cancer now. Just look at the timeline of major federal gun control legislation: 1934 -(34 years)- 1968 -(18 years)- 1986 -(8 years)- 1994 Certainly it seems to be accelerating, but keep in mind the worst component of the 1994 legislation had to include a time limit to pass and is now expired. The relevant point being, the elimination of the 2nd Amendment is not something the government is going to accomplish in a short period and they know it. This is something that could take several generations and I think the government is prepared to let it die a long slow death. Despite all the chest-thumping going on here, I doubt any of us wil live long enough to see the final nails put in the coffin of the 2nd Amendment. Every year more and more ranges and open land that used to be used fo shooting and hunting gets shut down because of urban sprawl and new housing developments. Fewer places to shoot translates into less interest in guns. Less interest in guns means less market. Less market means financial death of the manufacturers. Initiatives like ballistic fingerprinting and integral gun locks. These increase the cost of guns and place them out of the financial reach of more people. Again, it boils down to a diminished market and financial death for the manufacturers. We've already seen it in some states and those ideas are spreading. All out bans. Lets face it, if you think there won't be another "assault weapons ban" you need to put down the crack pipe. The democrats and gun banners won't make the same mistakes they made in 1994 again, and the next one will be far more comprehensive. It may be another 20years before they can get something like that through or it could be right after the next presidential election. It will happen though, and when it does, people will be able to keep what they've got, but those guns will eventually break down, fail, and turn into expensive clubs when their owners can't get parts to maintain and service them. Eventually, no one will care about the rusty old M1A sitting in the corner because it doesn't work and you can't get parts for it anyway. Ammo. All Congress has to do is pass a significant tax on ammo and components and we're all on borrowed time. When Senator Monihan (sp?) was in the senate, I think he proposed a 10,000% tax on ammo every year. He's gone now, but I'm sure there's some people in Congress who have those very same ideas. Think about 'sin taxes' on other products at the state level - a box of cigarettes costs about $8 in NYC, most of which is tax. Now think of the effect if a similar tax was enacted nationally on ammo & components. Its not nearly as far-fetched as LEOs going house to house. Bottom line is the government will slowly strangle the life out of the manufacturers and the market, reducing the public's interest in guns to the point where very few people will own guns or care about those who do. I think they're prepared to let it take decades if need be to avoid the cost, logistical problems, and inherent dangers for something so stupid and ridiculous as going house to house to collect them when millions of households have guns. It will be a very slow death by incrementalism. Frog, meet pot...