Please take a moment to read Marion Hammer’s response to Gerald Ensley’s anti-gun comments about gun registration on July 21 on Tallahassee.com titled, “ Nobody asked me, but…”. Marion Hammer’s view listed below can also be found on Tallahassee.com by clicking here.
Marion Hammer: Nobody asked me either, Gerald, but ....
My View
Written by Marion P. Hammer
Re: “Random Thoughts: Nobody asked me, but ...” (Gerald Ensley, July 21).
Gerald Ensley is right — nobody asked him for his opinion on gun registration. But since he chose to share his anti-gun bias, let me take a moment to expose his avoidance of reality.
Yes, we register voters. But we do it to try keep dishonest people who are not eligible to vote from breaking the law and voting anyhow; to keep dishonest people from voting more than once; to keep dead people from voting; to stop illegal activity that thwarts the will of the people by stuffing the ballot box.
But, those who appear to be proponents and defenders of illegal voting fight any requirement to show proper identification when voting.
People who vote more than once are effectively stealing votes from every legitimate, qualified voter.
Yes, we register cars. But that’s for tax purposes. Nobody cares if you own a car or how many cars you own, they just want you to pay the taxes on them every year.
The ability of law enforcement officers to use vehicle tag numbers to track down owners is an untended consequence of car registration. It’s a classic example of taking an action for one purpose and it later being used for one nobody anticipated.
Yes, some cities are registering gay couples. But only those who want to voluntarily register themselves so they can receive some of the benefits that married heterosexual couples and families receive.
Government is not trying to ban or take the right to vote from lawful voters. Government is not trying to ban or take cars from car owners. Government is not trying to take anything away from gay couples. To the contrary, they’re providing an opportunity to give them something.
The only reason to register your guns is to take your guns.
To buy a gun, you must to fill out a form swearing that you are a citizen of the U.S., not a criminal, not a fugitive, not a user of illegal drugs, not an alcoholic, not mentally ill, not dishonorably discharged from the military, never convicted of domestic violence, not under a restraining order for harassment, stalking or threats, never denounced your U.S. citizenship, and not in this country illegally.
Then, they run a background check to be sure you didn’t lie.
Why not do that when you register to vote? Why not do that when you buy a car? Why not do that to gay couples who register to receive benefits?
Why? Because people like Gerald Ensley don’t seem to be worried about illegal voters, people who own cars or gay couples. They only worry about law-abiding gun owners.
Gerald says that “gun nuts” drive him and his ilk crazy. His animus towards guns and gun owners is what I find crazy.
Marion P. Hammer is past president of the National Rifle Association and is executive director of Unified Sportsmen of Florida.
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