Guns ownership, despite being a protected constitutional right, is far more regulated then car ownership.
We don't require waiting periods, limit the capacity of the gas tank or the power of the engine, require back ground checks to purchase a car, We don't require licenses to own a car, only to drive it on public roads (you can own it without a incense and someone else can drive it, or you can drive it on private property). We give the license out to every 16 to 18 year old (depending on the state, and with learners permits as young as 14), who can pass a simple test, Anyone who has a license in one state can go to any state and drive there (unlike say Illinois where CCPs from other states are not recognized, and without a CCP you have to keep your gun locked up in transit). If you drive without a license where a license is required, you don't get into nearly as much trouble as you can get for an unlicensed firearm (the first is a violation or misdemeanor, the 2nd is typically a felony), Car dealers don't need to be licensed by the feds. Car dealers don't have to keep the kind of records that gun dealers do. Cars can be sold across state lines. You can buy a car for someone else's use without running afoul of "straw purchase" laws. Cars aren't banned just because they look scary (as with assault weapons which are defined by cosmetic differences with other guns).
As for the NRA, they are the main force behind protecting the right for people to arm themselves against mass killers. To the extent that anyone but the killer "has blood on their hands", people who create gun free zones and otherwise disarm potential victims do. |
