I don’t subscribe to the local county news rag, largely because I resent poorly argued political advocacy being sold to me as news, and because newspapers are about as relevant to me as giant tube televisions. This editorial from the Bucks County Courier Times represents why I do not and will never subscribe. Since everyone is so concerned about taxpayers footing the bill for the intransigence of towns who fly in the face of preemption, I have a suggestion. Why don’t we make the politicians themselves responsible for their votes? If you vote yes on a bill that’s found to violate Pennsylvania’s preemption law, you can be sued personally in court and found liable. That way it’s off the backs of the taxpayers. Sound fair?
The very easy solution to this problem is for towns not to violate state law by passing gun control laws. Firearm ownership is protected by the Pennsylvania constitution, and is a matter of statewide concern. The General Assembly has wisely forbidden towns from regulating the lawful use of firearms. That prohibition is meaningless is there’s no way to enforce it.
BTW, how much do you want to bet this editorial came straight from Bloomberg’s office, and was dutifully reproduced by the stooges on the editorial board of the Times?
So far, what you are asking for has worked miracles down here in Florida. I’m looking at ways to start pushing the kind of penalties we have available with HB45 to other realms besides just gun laws.
Personal responsibility works. Whooda thought?
Unrelatedly, from the post title I thought you were going to make a typographical joke.
When those guns are later recovered at a crime scene, the straw purchaser simply claims the gun was missing or stolen. Case closed.
Wait, let me get this straight. If a criminal breaks the law, all they have to do is lie to police about it and they get off scot free? Who knew? They should start lying to police more often.
The cream on top is that gun controllers enact lost/stolen legislation in light of this problem that requires the victim to report it to police within 72hrs (or become a criminal themselves). So now when a gun turns up at a crime scene and the police trace it back to the straw purchaser, they now say “it was stolen… yesterday. I’d like to report a stolen firearm, officer.†Case closed. Damn those criminals are smart.
A reporting law would inhibit straw purchasers because they’d face prosecution if they hadn’t reported a “stolen†or “missing†gun later recovered at a crime scene. And they’d raise suspicion if they became serial reporters.
But they wouldn’t raise suspicion if they became serial reporters of theft after the gun turned up at a crime scene?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I have no problem with a [statewide] law requiring reporting of lost or stolen firearms. But such a law must place the burden of proof on the state to show that the person who failed to report a lost or stolen firearm did so KNOWINGLY. Now, it could be said that such a burden of proof is nearly impossible to meet, to which I would reply: “exactly”.
And any lost or stolen reporting law would have to include language that would preclude Philadelphia police from questioning the “character and reputation” of LTCF applicants who have reported firearms lost or stolen in the past. People should never be punished for doing the right thing.
Yep… and by that standard, there are plenty of things you can charge under existing law, without a Lost & Stolen ordinance.
I’m surprised you wasted pixels to talk about that waste of paper and ink…..