One of the key reasons I'm so adamant against registration is the "slippery slope" argument. That is, it is always the first step towards confiscation. In EVERY instance where guns were registered (Germany, England, Australia, Argentina, etc.), it is the first step towards more restrictive laws, a path that eventually ends with outlawing firearm ownership.
Furthermore, "keeping and bearing" arms is not just a right because it happens to be one of the enumerated rights in the Constitution, it is a HUMAN right to have the ability to defend one's self. But, since it IS an enumerated right, The Constitution give all of us the footing to demand our rights to "keep and bear." Restrictions on that right are akin to having to ask permission to express your opinion, going (or not going) to a church of your choice, being denied a lawyer in criminal cases, having military troops quartered in your home, not allowing warrantless searches of your home, etc, etc.
IMO, the Government already knows too much about each and every citizen. Gun registration would be just another datapoint with huge potential for abuse by an intrusive government. |
