New York Enacts Tough Gun Controls
About Michael John ScottMr. Scott is the owner and publisher of Mad Mike's America. He is a U.S. Army veteran, career law enforcement executive, and dog trainer. He is a university professor, and criminal justice consultant, holding several degrees, including a master's in criminal justice and human services. He has completed the requisite coursework toward his doctorate, and is still working on his dissertation.
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New York enacted the nation’s toughest gun restrictions today and the first since the Connecticut school shooting, including an expanded assault-weapon ban and mandatory background checks for buying ammunition.
Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the measure into law less than an hour after it won final passage in the Legislature, with supporters hailing it as a model for the nation and gun-rights activists condemning it as a knee-jerk piece of legislation that won’t make anyone safer. “Common sense can win,” said Cuomo. Some elements of the law:
- Mentally ill: Therapists, doctors, and other mental health professionals will be required to tell state authorities if a patient threatens to use a gun illegally. The patient’s weapon could then be taken away.
- Assault weapons: Owners of an estimated 1 million previously legal semiautomatic rifles, like the Bushmaster model used in Newtown, will be allowed to keep their weapons but will have a year to register them with police.
- Semiautomatic features: Previously, state law banned semiautomatics that have detachable magazines and at least two military-type features, such as a pistol grip, folding stock, muzzle flash suppressor, or bayonet mount. The new law will reduce that to just one feature.
- Ammo: The measure restricts ammunition magazines to seven bullets, down from 10, and makes New York the first state to require background checks to buy bullets. The system will also help flag customers who buy large amounts of ammo.
- Bigger database: A more comprehensive database of people barred from owning guns will be created.
President Obama unveils his own gun violence proposals tomorrow morning.
RickRay
January 16, 2013 at 9:56 am
Keep going with the restrictions and you might become semi-sane and reach the sanity level we have in Canada,Britain and Australia.
Michael John Scott
January 16, 2013 at 3:34 pm
Agreed Rick, but as long as there’s a second amendment I don’t see us ever reaching that level of sanity. Quite frankly if there was ever a candidate for repeal it would be the second amendment, but that won’t happen in my lifetime.
James Smith
January 16, 2013 at 9:58 am
I was under the impression that New York already had the most strict gun laws in the nation. How has that worked out?
As for the new regulations, even while reading them, I could see how any of them could be easily circumvented.
Flash suppressors? WTF? How do they make a weapon more dangerous? That’s like saying the spark suppressors required on dirt bikes make them a terrorist vehicle.
I’m all for better gun regulations, but it’s stupid shit like this that makes a mockery of them. Symbolism above substance, that’s the political answer.
Michael John Scott
January 16, 2013 at 3:33 pm
James I didn’t understand the whole flash suppressors dynamic either, and I agree with everything else as well. That being said at least it’s a start, even if it’s one that is solely for political expedience. We could do much better.
James Smith
January 16, 2013 at 4:17 pm
Vote for me for Emperor and I’ll straighten this mess out along with the tax code. I must have absolute power, though. The big multinationals and the NRA will not be happy.
I can remember when the NRA was a firearm safety hunting and training organization. What happened?
Bill Formby
January 16, 2013 at 6:37 pm
The biggest issue they really tackled was the registration of sales among private parties which includes gun shows and the reporting of persons who therapists consider dangerous.
James Smith
January 16, 2013 at 6:42 pm
I agree, Bill but I can easily see ways around it. I suspect sales between acquaintances may slip through. I also suspect many of the people that should be reported are never going to visit a therapist. Even if they do, one would not have to be very smart to self-censor what you say.
It’s like the question they are supposed to ask people being book into jail, “Are considering harming yourself in any way?” If a person were and were serious, they certainly would not answer that in the affirmative. Or are they still even asking that? Damn, the things I do not know!
Bill Formby
January 16, 2013 at 8:06 pm
True, James. But after interviewing a suspect once who confessed to killing several people I ask him why he didn’t tell the other investigators what he told me. “Simple”, he said, “they never ashed me.” If your don’t put your net in the water you won’t catch any fish even if you do have holes in it. A holey net might catch a few.
James Smith
January 17, 2013 at 6:21 am
Catching a few is a start, but I thi8nk much more effective methods are needed. No, I don’t know what they are, but somehow, the culture of “get a gun and go kill someone” has to be changed. The causes and cures are far more important than banning flash suppressors.
Les Carpenter
January 17, 2013 at 1:30 am
Not passing an amendment to overturn the 2′nd amendment is a very good thing, IMNHO.
Reasonable and rational restrictions, such as banning semi automatic assault weapons, high cap (extended) magazines, and enhanced background checks are reasonable. Getting rid of the 2′nd is not. Again IMNHO.
Bill Formby
January 17, 2013 at 8:13 pm
There is no problem with the 2nd Amendment. We just have some right wing nuts that need to learn how to grow up in their interpretations.