"Barack Obama supports mandatory waiting periods.

FACT: Barack Obama supports mandatory firearm training requirements for all gun owners and a ban on gun ownership for persons under the age of 21."

I'm all for gun ownership, but I must say I have no problem with the above issues. Unless of course that firearm training is made so expensive only a handful of people can afford it.

B.L.

 

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

 

Unfortunately, (for Hussein anyway) our Constitution has a problem with the above underlined. Any takers on him proposing an amendment?

 

 

 

[cue crickets]

 

 

"Barack Obama supports mandatory waiting periods.

FACT: Barack Obama supports mandatory firearm training requirements for all gun owners and a ban on gun ownership for persons under the age of 21."

I'm all for gun ownership, but I must say I have no problem with the above issues. Unless of course that firearm training is made so expensive only a handful of people can afford it.

B.L.

link

So its okay for an 18 year old to join the Marines and fire an M-16 in defense of his country but illegal for him to come home and go hunting with a shotgun?  Yeah... that makes a lot of sense.

The difference being that the Marines train and discipline said 18 year old and teach him how to handle his M-16 responsibly.
Truth be told, most of the 18 year olds I know I wouldn't trust with a potato gun, let alone a rifle.

That being said, the age requirement wasn't really the bit I agreed with (I got my first gun (a shotgun) when I was 18). There are plenty of irresponsible morons of all ages.
It was mainly the training bit. But as I said before, if the training was made too expensive I'd be opposed to it.

And waiting periods, for what I assume would be for background checks, just sounds like common sense to me.

B.L.

I just noted the inconsistant values here - much like voting - most 18 year olds have zero political skills - can we trust them with pulling a lever?  Unfortunately, they are citizens too and they have the same rights under the Constitution.

If we let them vote, be charged with a felony, and be eligible for the draft then they should have equal rights as a citizen.  I can see a court challenge with logical reasoning along these lines to any move to make the gun ownership start at 21. The only way to change that is to make adulthood start at 21 and not 18.

I do not oppose training - and in Virginia conceal and carry permits require training at an acredited school.  We also do full background checks for gun ownership.  Alas, that did not stop the VA Tech killer - who had committed no crime but was mentally unstable - therefore any gun check against him would have failed. 

 

Because of my very common last name I had to wait 3 days to obtain a firearm in Virginia because they wanted to do a manual scan to ensure that I was not a criminal.  That is not unreasonable nor is it unjustified.

 

However, I do oppose those who portray Obama as pro-gun ownership when it is clear that he has supported things like the DC gun ban and legislation to make a home owner liable to civil/criminal penalties while defending themselves and their family inside the home.  Obama's record - and the record of his party - speaks for itself.  They oppose gun ownership and want the 2nd Amendment to be taken off the books.

Hm, I think a very good case could be made to push adulthood back to 21, but that's another argument for another day...

I do pretty much agree with you. 18 year olds, as "adults" with all the pluses and minuses that that entails (except inexplicably the right to drink), should have the right to bare arms... it's just not something I particularly feel comfortable with.


I'm moving to America in about a month and a half, and one of the (many) reasons is to escape the sort of legal insanity that's taken this country by the throat. The sort of insanity I highlighted above. I'm not sure where I can flee to if America falls victim to the same crazy crap I'd have hoped to have gotten away from...

Please, please don't elect Obama!

B.L. 

Please note - the 2nd Amendment is a constitutional right.  Therefore all adults (who do not have a felony record) have these rights.  Free speech, voting, firearms to name a few....  Drinking alcohol is not embodied in our constitution as a right (see prohibition).  Not being in the bill of rights makes drinking a matter for state legislation - which has generally put it at 21 but some areas do have it at 18.

Where in the constitution does it state such a qualifier? Where does it say only those without felony records may enjoy the right to bare arms? No where right? Yet you agree with this Infringement because it makes sense no? requiring training for someone to purchase a firearm makes a whole lot of sense to me.

Felons often face additional consequences of conviction such as the loss of voting rights in many states, exclusion from certain lines of work, prohibition from obtaining certain licenses,exclusion from purchase and possession of firearms, ammunition and body armour and ineligibility to run for or be elected to public office.

 

For example, a felon convicted of a violent or firearms violation cannot purchase a gun in Virginia.  A felon convicted of sex crimes, especially against minors, cannot be employed in the child-care industry and has to register their address.

 

In addition, some states consider a felony conviction to be grounds for an uncontested divorce. These, among other losses of privileges not included explicitly in sentencing, are known as collateral consequences of criminal charges. Finally if a felon is not a U.S. citizen, that person may be subject to deportation after sentencing is complete.

 

Would you want a guy convicted of armed robbery be eligible to buy a gun?  How about a convicted sex offender working at your day care center?  How about a politician convicted of lying to a Federal Judge being allowed to practice law?