Finally .... A Sensible Gun Registration Plan That Will Work

ExSoldier · November 2nd, 2009, 11:07 PM

Vermont State Rep. Fred Maslack has read the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, as well as Vermont 's own Constitution very carefully, and his strict interpretation of these documents is popping some eyeballs in New England and elsewhere.

Maslack recently proposed a bill to register "non-gun-owners" and require them to pay a $500 fee to the state.

Thus Vermont would become the first state to require a permit for the luxury of going about unarmed and assess a fee of $500 for the privilege of not owning a gun.

Maslack read the "militia" phrase of the Second Amendment as not only affirming the right of the individual citizen to bear arms, but as a clear mandate to do so. He believes that universal gun ownership was advocated by the Framers of the Constitution as an antidote to a "monopoly of force" by the government as well as criminals.

Vermont 's constitution states explicitly that "the people have a right to bear arms for the defense of themselves and the State" and those persons who are "conscientiously scrupulous of bearing arms" shall be required to "pay such equivalent."

Clearly, says Maslack, Vermonters have a constitutional obligation to arm themselves, so that they are capable of responding to "any situation that may arise."

Under the bill, adults who choose not to own a firearm would be required to register their name, address, Social Security Number, and driver's license number with the state.

"There is a legitimate government interest in knowing who is not prepared to defend the state should they be asked to do so," Maslack says.

Vermont already boasts a high rate of gun ownership along with the least restrictive laws of any state .. it's currently the only state that allows a citizen to carry a concealed firearm without a permit. This combination of plenty of guns and few laws regulating them has resulted in a crime rate that is the third lowest in the nation.

"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the (expletive deleted)."

This makes sense! There is no reason why gun owners should have to pay taxes to support police protection for people not wanting to own guns. Let them contribute their fair share and pay their own way.

tangoseal · November 2nd, 2009, 11:09 PM

I love vermont.... if it wasnt so darn cold I might move there!

czman2006 · November 2nd, 2009, 11:12 PM

After reading this, I might move there anyway!

jbone · November 2nd, 2009, 11:16 PM

That is awesome!

ak56 · November 3rd, 2009, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExSoldier

...Maslack recently proposed a bill to register "non-gun-owners" and require them to pay a $500 fee to the state...

This recent proposal was over nine years ago.

ExSoldier · November 3rd, 2009, 12:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ak56

This recent proposal was over nine years ago.

At least it DID happen! Still a heckuva good idea. Obviously it never went anywhere. The folks I know who live in Vermont aren't terribly happy having a member of the socialist party as one of their Senators, so maybe that's why it died....

PastorPack · November 3rd, 2009, 12:57 AM

Oldie but a goodie! Three cheers for Vermont.

jumpwing · November 3rd, 2009, 01:38 AM

In order to be exempt from the $500 fee you just have to prove you're a gun owner. And to make sure that people don't commit fraud by claiming the same gun, they'll just record the serial number on each gun along with the identity of the owner to make sure that it's only counted once.

It's called a de facto gun registry.

Where money and government are involved, people who claim an exemption from paying usually have to prove they qualify.

I think Rep. Maslack's heart was probably in the right place, but it misses the point: The government has no business knowing who does or does not own a firearm.

jumpwing · November 3rd, 2009, 01:39 AM

In order to be exempt from the $500 fee you just have to prove you're a gun owner. And to make sure that people don't commit fraud by claiming the same gun, they'll just record the serial number on each gun along with the identity of the owner to make sure that it's only counted once.

It's called a de facto gun registry.

Where money and government are involved, people who claim an exemption from paying usually have to prove they qualify.

I think Rep. Maslack's heart was probably in the right place, but it misses the point: The government has no business knowing who does or does not own a firearm.

dukalmighty · November 3rd, 2009, 02:22 AM

Texas is big enough to fit vermont in somewhere

November 2nd, 2009, 11:07 PM	#1
ExSoldier VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Coral Gables, FL Posts: 4,853	Finally .... A Sensible Gun Registration Plan That Will Work Vermont State Rep. Fred Maslack has read the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, as well as Vermont 's own Constitution very carefully, and his strict interpretation of these documents is popping some eyeballs in New England and elsewhere. Maslack recently proposed a bill to register "non-gun-owners" and require them to pay a $500 fee to the state. Thus Vermont would become the first state to require a permit for the luxury of going about unarmed and assess a fee of $500 for the privilege of not owning a gun. Maslack read the "militia" phrase of the Second Amendment as not only affirming the right of the individual citizen to bear arms, but as a clear mandate to do so. He believes that universal gun ownership was advocated by the Framers of the Constitution as an antidote to a "monopoly of force" by the government as well as criminals. Vermont 's constitution states explicitly that "the people have a right to bear arms for the defense of themselves and the State" and those persons who are "conscientiously scrupulous of bearing arms" shall be required to "pay such equivalent." Clearly, says Maslack, Vermonters have a constitutional obligation to arm themselves, so that they are capable of responding to "any situation that may arise." Under the bill, adults who choose not to own a firearm would be required to register their name, address, Social Security Number, and driver's license number with the state. "There is a legitimate government interest in knowing who is not prepared to defend the state should they be asked to do so," Maslack says. Vermont already boasts a high rate of gun ownership along with the least restrictive laws of any state .. it's currently the only state that allows a citizen to carry a concealed firearm without a permit. This combination of plenty of guns and few laws regulating them has resulted in a crime rate that is the third lowest in the nation. "America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the (expletive deleted)." This makes sense! There is no reason why gun owners should have to pay taxes to support police protection for people not wanting to own guns. Let them contribute their fair share and pay their own way. __________________ Former Infantry Captain; 20 yrs as an NRA Certified Instructor; Avid practitioner of the martial art: KLIK-PAO.

November 2nd, 2009, 11:09 PM	#2
tangoseal Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: WoodStock, Georgia Posts: 348	I love vermont.... if it wasnt so darn cold I might move there! __________________ "I believe that the right of the citizen to keep and bear arms must not be infringed if liberty in America is to survive." - Ronald Reagan

November 2nd, 2009, 11:12 PM	#3
czman2006 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: NC Posts: 612	After reading this, I might move there anyway! __________________ "Let not your heart be troubled." John 14:1 USN Retired Vietnam/Desert Shield/Desert Storm

November 2nd, 2009, 11:16 PM	#4
jbone Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: NY, USA Posts: 369	That is awesome! __________________ Note: This post may contain misspellings, grammatical errors, disorganized sentence structure, or may entirely lack a coherent theme. These elements are natural to the process of writing, and will only add to the overall beauty of the post.

November 3rd, 2009, 12:57 AM	#7
PastorPack Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,119	Oldie but a goodie! Three cheers for Vermont. __________________ God is love (1 John 4:8)

November 3rd, 2009, 01:38 AM	#8
jumpwing Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Washington Posts: 374	In order to be exempt from the $500 fee you just have to prove you're a gun owner. And to make sure that people don't commit fraud by claiming the same gun, they'll just record the serial number on each gun along with the identity of the owner to make sure that it's only counted once. It's called a de facto gun registry. Where money and government are involved, people who claim an exemption from paying usually have to prove they qualify. I think Rep. Maslack's heart was probably in the right place, but it misses the point: The government has no business knowing who does or does not own a firearm. __________________ "The flock sleep peaceably in their pasture at night because Sheepdogs stand ready to do violence on their behalf."

November 3rd, 2009, 01:39 AM	#9
jumpwing Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Washington Posts: 374	In order to be exempt from the $500 fee you just have to prove you're a gun owner. And to make sure that people don't commit fraud by claiming the same gun, they'll just record the serial number on each gun along with the identity of the owner to make sure that it's only counted once. It's called a de facto gun registry. Where money and government are involved, people who claim an exemption from paying usually have to prove they qualify. I think Rep. Maslack's heart was probably in the right place, but it misses the point: The government has no business knowing who does or does not own a firearm. __________________ "The flock sleep peaceably in their pasture at night because Sheepdogs stand ready to do violence on their behalf."

November 3rd, 2009, 02:22 AM	#10
dukalmighty VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: texas Posts: 6,383	Texas is big enough to fit vermont in somewhere __________________ I like Poetry,Long Walks On The Beach,And Poking Dead Things With A Stick

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