I write this letter in opposition to H.R. 45. The legislation calls for the federal registration and licensing of particular types of firearms, those with detachable magazines and all pistols. It is also known as the Blair Holt bill, in remembrance of a young man who died shielding another from a criminal’s actions. I’m quite sure all the criminals with illegally obtained weapons will line up and register their weapons just as soon as it becomes law. I think we all know that won’t happen but, every other gun owner (law abiding) will be required to under penalty of law to comply. And of course when this law does not reduce gun violence (because the criminals don’t obey the laws as enforced) you’ll have the information required for confiscation.

It is clear what the end game is. There are already over ten thousand gun laws on the books. If the government would enforce existing laws to the letter we would not have the level of violence we have. Too often judges are lenient towards violent offenders. If someone commits a crime with a gun they should be put away for a long, long time, period. No plea deals, no concurrent sentences. If a criminal knew, with absolute certainty that committing a crime with a gun will put him behind bars until he was an old man or dead, gun crime would drop drastically. The reason our founding fathers put the right to bear arms in the Constitution was so the individual could protect himself from tyranny. Whether it was the tyranny of one (a criminal) or a tyranny of many. (an oppressive, criminal government) A lawful and law biding government need not fear an armed populace. Only criminals need fear an armed citizen.