The plan calls for expanding New Jersey’s already strict gun control laws, expanding government-funded mental health treatment, making it more difficult for kids buy or rent violent video games, requiring that would-be gun owners show government-issued IDs and bolstering penalties for gun-related crimesOne that jumped out at me as particularly stupid was this little gem:
New Jersey has the second toughest gun laws in the country. The first facet of Christie’s plan seeks to make them even stricter. This includes banning future purchases of the Barrett .50 Caliber...Oh. My. God. We're going to reduce crime by banning "Barrett 50 calibers" by name? What horrific crime wave are we reacting to here? Can anyone name a single crime anywhere in the US committed by someone using a Barrett? The Violence Policy Center has a page listing all the "crimes" committed with .50 caliber guns and with the exception of one used in a drug cartel shootout in Mexico, they all appear to be malum prohibitum crimes, "crimes because we say so": crimes of possession, or of someone who owned one being involved in some other crime (owning while stupid?). No actual "shooting someplace up" crimes.
I'd love one of Ronnie's beautiful toys myself, but at $12,000 MSRP stripped, and $170 for each magazine and ammo at about $5 per round, it's undoubtedly a rich man's toy. You'd need to live somewhere with truly wide open spaces to shoot it. The rifle club I belong to forbids the use of .50 BMG.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say if anyone in New Jersey owns and shoots a Barrett .50, they're rather rich and either live in a gated suburb or on an estate farm. In other words, the people least likely to be involved in crime - but we're going to make sure no one can buy another one. That's an effective use of legislator's time.
Considering most of us can't tell him from a Democrat, Christie probably just threw away any chance of a Republican presidential run.
Good.
Curious, the Canadian government banned Barrett .50BMG rifles in 1993. Since then McMillan, Accuracy International and other makes not named in the regulation have offered their 50s for sale here.
ReplyDeleteChris Christie is not just becoming a Democrat - he's imitating Canadian Liberal party leaders.
Al_in_Ottawa
If I was Ronnie Barrett I think I'd be taking it personally. It's one thing if you want to ban everything bigger than .45 cal, not that makes any sense, but Barrett by name and no one else?
DeleteI would think that could be fought in the courts, although I can see him saying "go pound sand, I won't sell to your police departments", like he did for California.
Why does a bayonet lug tag a gun as an "assault weapon"? Has there been a single instance of bayoneting in the USA since the civil war? Same reason as this: Liberals are ruled by emotion and fear, like small children, and ban things that are scaaaaawwyyyy without thought or rationale.
ReplyDeleteIt even seems dumber than that. They're now declaring something to be an assault weapon based on a one feature test and anything that make a gun more ergonomic for smaller guys or women makes it an assault weapon. Pistol grips, adjustable stocks, or even anything to grip the barrel that keeps it from burning your hands.
DeleteA bayonet could be used to hurt someone. A pistol grip or forward grip? ... not so much.
And that is why I have no use for Ann Coulter any more. I want to use adjatives more suitable for wirecutters blog if you get my drift.
ReplyDeleteSo I will quote Buggs Bunny. "maroons".
Terry
Fla
Ann doesn't need me to defend her, but to be fair, the last few times I've seen Ann talking about Christie she has commented on how stupid she was about him. She's over him now.
DeleteThanks. I missed that. When I write you off, it sticks. I will start reading her again.
ReplyDeleteTerry
Fla.