As TTAG readers know, registration leads to confiscation. It always has and always will. And licensing of gun purchasers is a gateway to registration.
So, it should come as little surprise that Democrat gun-ban advocates in the U.S. Senate have introduced a new measure to require lawful Americans to have a federal firearms license to purchase a gun in the United States.
On December 17, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, and U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, D-New Jersey, introduced the Federal Firearm Licensing Act, which would require individuals to obtain a federal firearm license before purchasing or receiving a firearm.
Specifically, the proposed law would require that for an individual to get a federal firearm license, he or she must complete firearm safety training before purchasing a firearm, which must include a written test and hands-on training to ensure safe use and accuracy and the license, and license would have to be renewed every five years. Additionally, it would require the U.S. Attorney General to conduct a history background check of any individual purchasing a firearm, allow revocation of licenses for individuals who “pose a danger to themselves or others,” and requires regular checks by the FBI to ensure that gun owners are in compliance with federal licensing requirements.
Of course, Sen. Booker believes he has good reason to introduce such a measure.
“Every day, Americans face the relentless scourge of gun violence, most recently the shooting at Brown University, which claimed the lives of two students and left nine others critically wounded,” Sen. Booker said in a news release announcing the measure. “With each new tragedy, we are painfully reminded of Congress’s continued failure to pass commonsense legislation that could end this nightmare and finally make our communities safe.”
Sen. Booker, never one to worry about facts or truth, also lied about the success of gun licensing.
“The data is clear: firearm licensing laws drastically reduce gun-related deaths,” he said. “If a license is required to drive a car, it should be required to own a gun. The Federal Firearm Licensing Act brings this common-sense idea to every community in the nation, mandating background checks and proper training before a license is issued. With this legislation, we could save lives, prevent gun violence, and finally make our communities safer.”
Speaking for her organization, Vanessa Gonzalez, vice president of government and political affairs for the gun-ban group Giffords, also used the tired, oft-overused car analogy.
“A license is required before someone can get behind the wheel of a car, to show that they are trained and authorized to handle something with lethal potential,” she said. “And yet, in America, where gun violence is the leading cause of death for children, outpacing car crashes, no such national requirement exists. Licensing laws are an effective way to make sure guns are only purchased and used by responsible Americans, and yet just a handful of states have these laws in place.”
As with most anti-gun proposals, with the current makeup of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, this one faces a hard road to passage. However, should Democrats win back either or both houses in next year’s mid-terms, we can expect a full-scale push by gun-ban lawmakers on this measure.
Read the full article here