"
What is an illegal gun? A gun that a group of liberals deemed "illegal"?"
I deleted my first response because I kept coming back to the specific wording of your questions. There is a sliver of an argument that there are
no "illegal guns" if one wants to travel down a twisty road of questionable logic, so let me concede that train of thought.
Why concede? Because an argument
can be made that the weapon itself cannot be deemed "illegal." Making it, having it, selling it, etc.; the actions of individuals can be illegal, but the weapon itself lends a gray area. Much the same as Marijuana, it's the having, manufacturing, selling
processes that are actually violations of law, not the plant. Semantics at it's ugliest, I know, but common sense has little to do with legalese.
A variation of your question could be, "
Who can be considered to have broken a law involving firearm restrictions?" That can be defined a little easier, if not completely.
The NFA makes certain conduct a criminal offense, including but not limited to: engaging in business as a manufacturer, importer, or dealer with respect to firearms without having registered or paid a special occupational tax; receiving or possessing a firearm transferred to oneself in violation of the NFA; receiving or possessing a firearm made in violation of the NFA; receiving or possessing a firearm not registered to oneself in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record; transferring or making a firearm in violation of the NFA; or obliterating, removing, changing, or altering the serial number of the firearm.
As far as who came up with whatever restrictions there are, it was a blend of idealogies, conservative
and liberal, Democrat
and Republican, over a number of decades because enough normal citizens from all walks of life got fed up with the destructive power available in small packages. It's too bad gun enthusiasts can't understand that part and offer a constructive compromise instead of having the tired old "we won't budge" mentality.
Hell, even in the Wild West there were towns which required people to check their guns in until they left. Gun control is a proud American tradition. Just ask J. Edgar Hoover.
by
MedfordTim on
05/11/2008 03:23:41 AM EST
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