Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Letter to BATFE on restricting importation shotguns


To whom it may concern

Determination of whether a firearm is generally accepted for use in sporting purposes is the
responsibility of the Attorney General.
  This line of the study should stop the ATF form doing this study right at this point .  This also brings up the point that when the Gun Control Act of 1968 was implemented, the climate about guns in the USA was to regulate them into extinction.  The climate today is closer to what the 2nd amendment to the constitution says,  "... the right of the PEOPLE to keep and bear arms SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED".  The effect of the Gun Control Act of 1968 was to limit the lawful citizen's access to a firearm and did nothing to stop a criminal from attaining or using a gun in a crime.  The Gun Control Act of 1968 did not attack the root of the problem, it targeted a tool whose purpose was perverted to be an instrument of a crime.  This act made as much sense as outlawing cars because they facilitated bank robberies.  As to the SPORTING PURPOSES there is a new sport in the US, three-gun competition.  This is a highly skilled competition that uses specialized equipment to perform at the peak levels.  Not unlike NASCAR.
Just because a firearm can be used to commit a crime, does not mean that it needs to be more regulated than any other firearm.  Just because a firearm looks different, does not mean that it needs to be more regulated than any other firearm.  Just because a firearm is not liked by certain people, does not mean that it needs to be more regulated than any other firearm.  A firearm is a tool, nothing more, nothing less.  What is done with that tool is where we should be looking for solutions not demonizing the tool or restricting the tool.

As to the Gun Control Act of 1968 that you say limits the importation of firearms to those that only have a sporting purpose is wrong what it says is "Sec. 101. The Congress hereby declares that the purpose of this title is to provide support to Federal, State, and
local law enforcement officials in their fight against crime and violence, and it is not the purpose of this title to place any undue
or unnecessary Federal restrictions or burdens on law-abiding citizens with respect to the acquisition, possession, or use of firearms appropriate to the purpose of hunting, trapshooting, target shooting, personal protection, or any other lawful activity, and that this title is not intended to discourage or eliminate the private ownership or use of firearms by lawabiding citizens for lawful purposes, or provide for the imposition by Federal regulations of any procedures or requirements other than those reasonably necessary to implement and effectuate the provisions of this title."
The part of the senence that states "and that this title is not intended to discourage or eliminate the private ownership or use of firearms by lawabiding citizens for lawful purposes"  is exactly the opposite of what you are proposing to do.  You want to limit the importation of firearms that do not have a 'sporting purpose', but that is not what the act was intended to do.
This study is a perversion of the gun control act of 1968 and it should not be allowed to continue.