Are these new gun proposals in NJ trying to kill gun owners?

New Jersey has among the most restrictive gun laws in the United States. The controlling Democratic Party here would probably prefer not a single ordinary citizen own a gun of any kind. In New Jersey, a home with a gun owner and a leper colony are pretty much equally shunned.

So would you really think that we need even more restrictions? Democrats in the Legislature certainly do. A new package of eight proposals to further restrict guns is in play in Trenton. There’s one in particular that bothers me the most but first here’s the full list.

(A1280) Ban the future sales of .50 caliber guns in New Jersey and require current owners of .50 caliber guns to pay a $50 fee.

(A5030) Require people who buy guns in New Jersey to renew their purchaser ID card every four years and show proof of taking a course on safe handling and storage of firearms. Currently, purchaser ID cards are valid indefinitely. It would also require people who inherit guns to get a purchaser ID card.

(A6218) Amend New Jersey's public nuisance laws to prohibit the gun industry from endangering the safety or health of the public by its sale, manufacturing, importing, or marketing of guns. Officials say 80% of guns used in crimes in New Jersey come from out of state.

(A5787) Require firearm manufacturers to, within a year, incorporate micro-stamping technology into new handguns sold in the state to give law enforcement a way to link firearm cartridge casings found at the scene of a crime to a specific firearm, without needing to find the firearm itself.

(A1292) Require ammunition manufacturers and dealers to keep a detailed electronic record of sales and report them to the State Police.

(A5647) Require gun owners in the state to store firearms unloaded in a lockbox or safe and ammunition in a separate lockbox or safe.

(A3686) Require gun owners who move here from out of state to obtain a firearm purchaser ID card and register their guns within 60 days.

(AR277) Reestablish a “States for Gun Safety” summit in New Jersey.

It’s A-5647 that really leaves me wondering if any politician who sponsored this (or who votes yes on this) has ever handled a gun.

I read this troubling passage from the bill:

"REQUIRES THAT ALL FIREARMS MUST BE STORED, UNLOADED, IN A SECURELY LOCKED GUN SAFE OR LOCKED CONTAINER, AND ALL AMMUNITION MUST BE STORED IN A SEPARATE, SECURELY LOCKED GUN SAFE OR LOCKED CONTAINER. FAILURE TO DO SO IS PUNISHABLE BY LAW AND COULD RESULT IN FINES AND IMPRISONMENT."

In other words, if God forbid some armed robber or some weirdo on bath salts breaks into your home or some other home invasion occurs you are going to waste precious seconds by following this law. Most gun owners who keep a firearm for the purpose of protecting themselves and their family will keep it locked but loaded.

Under this proposal, by the time you get your gun out of its lockbox you now have to waste time going to a separate lockbox, getting it open, getting your ammo and loading it into your weapon. Do these politicians have any idea how much can happen in those couple of moments?

And keep in mind we already have laws about keeping guns locked away when there are minors in the house. This proposal goes far beyond that to say everyone, even those without children, must comply with this onerous law.

Gun rights are already practically nonexistent in the state of New Jersey. Good luck trying to ever get a carry permit. In a place like this you pretty much have to apply with a bad guy holding a gun to the back of your head before they’ll issue you one. Law-abiding gun owners who just want to get to a range and do some target shooting are not even allowed to stop at a convenience store or top their tank off at a gas station on the way to or from. It would be illegal to do so. Look it up.

Let’s state the obvious here for those who don’t think about such things. Criminals with guns do not obey the laws. The only people who obey these restrictive gun laws or the law-abiding citizens that you do not need to worry about having a gun to begin with.

The bargaining process of amendments to try to get these bills through has already begun. But when you look at the initial language of the proposals it’s clear the ruling party ultimately wants no guns whatsoever.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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