Bush plan disarms good people

    George W. Bush is full of surprises.

    He recently signed a bill allocating $75 million to provide “trigger locks” to gun owners. The locks will be distributed at gun stores and provided free.

    Many applaud Bush’s plan as the trigger locks could prevent an accidental shooting or persons from using a stolen or discovered gun in a violent crime. But under the surface, the plan is another excuse for Big Brother to squeeze more rights out of Americans’ hands.

    Proving there is no such thing as a free lunch, any gun owner who chooses to get the locks will have to sign a document effectively registering him as a gun owner.

    This plan seems rather odd coming from a “compassionate conservative” who believes in less government.

    Most people will agree that the locks are a good idea. The government’s keeping the plan voluntary is excellent, but having gun owners register their guns is an assault on the second amendment.

    The second amendment guarantees an individual’s right to keep and bear arms. Nowhere in its wording does it say that owners must tell the federal government if they have guns and how many.

    The registration of guns is the first step to disarmament.

    In New York City and Washington D.C., residents who owned handguns were required to register their guns. Later, when the local governments outlawed handguns, they had a nice, comprehensive list of gun owners.

    Since handguns were banned, the murder rate in Washington D.C. and New York City has climbed. The cities now have the highest rates in the nation at 10.3 per 100,000 people and 9.3 per 100,000, respectively.

    Gun-control advocates love to ask, “If you are an upright, law-abiding citizen, why worry about registering your guns?”

    Registering guns only makes life more difficult for homeowners who want to protect their families.

    Criminals who want guns will get them on the black market and since no criminal would register their guns, any gun found at a crime scene could not be traced to the criminal.

    Registration laws make it harder for good people to get and keep guns legally.

    Many gun-control advocates say gun owners should pass a mandatory test for a license. Proposals to license firearm owners are designed to restrict ownership, thereby violating constitutional and natural rights.

    With 20,000 gun laws on the books, the last thing we need is more.

    Because of the recent rash of school shootings, lawmakers are scrambling for a solution. More gun-control laws won’t help. Americans should contact their congressmen and urge them to introduce legislation that increases public awareness to violence, the role of law enforcement personnel and self-defense. With an educated, conscious public, the nation will benefit far more than by restricting and disarming the public.

    Try disarming the bad guys, Dubya.