The thing is that nothing justifies throwing rationality out the window, whether it be discriminating against anyone wearing a turban or hijab, or passing gross restrictions on firearms that basically nullifies the 2nd amendment.
I agree with you.
The only reason I am very wary of the latest calls for stricter gun restrictions is that the federal government has a decades-long record of succeeding in getting the camel's nose into the tent using what seem like common-sense, rational arguments ... and then, by the time they finish adding to them, or interpreting them more broadly, that nose doesn't even look like a nose at all, and our liberties have suffered as a result.
We have to be so careful that any new restrictions are ones that the average American would agree with (such as restricting gun ownership for someone who has committed a felony, or someone who is currently taking major anti-psychotic drugs), but there can be no wiggle room so as to allow the government to broaden both of those categories to include people who commit a misdemeanor, or people who occasionally take a sleep aid to get a good night's sleep. So, whatever new restrictions are considered, they have to be spelled out in great detail, and there can be no room for broader interpretation.
That may sound extremely paranoid, but, when one considers how often the government takes a rational law and perverts it into liberty-robbing irrationality, a little paranoia can be a healthy thing. :) |
