Tuesday, November 22, 2005

South African "Gun Owners In For a Shock"

Owners of firearms are set for a rude awakening early next year.

According to the Central Firearm's Register those who fail to comply with the act on the control of firearms will be arrested, their weapons confiscated and they'll have to appear in court.

Statistics have shown that are more than 500,000 firearms licences countrywide need to be renewed before December 31.

What would the government do if half-a-million angry gun owners said "No"? Who would be set for a rude awakening then? But I dream. This reflects apathy, confusion and resignation, not rebellion.

The government has lists. They know where to go. And no one of import is apparently concerned that resources are being expended to render a population more vulnerable while women are being raped at the rate of one every 26 seconds.

I love the last line in this story--it really says it all:

The licences of stolen guns need not be renewed.

4 comments:

  1. So although criminals will be technically at fault for stealing the guns in the first place, they will not be at fault for failing to register them.

    But people who own guns legally will be at fault for not registering.

    I just had to type that out so I could see it in print and try to get my head around it. Insane. Completely insane.

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  2. AlanDP, it is just as stupid here. You can be charged with a crime for not filling out the paperwork when you buy a firearm or for falisying your 4473. A felon cannot because it has been ruled that is a violation of the fifth amendment's protection from self-incrimination.

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  3. IOW for you to truthfully say you are not a prohibited person is no crime. For a convicted felon to falsley say so is not a crime because he is a prohibited person and attempting to buy a gun is illegal, therefore, truthfully filling out the 4473 is self-incrimination and he is protected from that at his option.

    I kid you not.

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  4. Thinking slowly this morning. One more clarification; if you can truthully fill out the paper that you are not a prohibited person, no crime. Failure to fill it out becomes a crime, and since you are not protected by the fifth because priot to that you were not a criminal, what is useless against felons becomes the vehicle by which the law abiding becomes one.

    The bright side is, you no longer have to fill out the paperwork, I guess.

    ReplyDelete

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