Reasonable restrictions on guns
By The Bakersfield Californian
The First Amendment to the Constitution, as one of its provision, states, "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press."
The Second Amendment states, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
In both provisions, there appears a total restriction on infringing upon these rights. And yet there are many restrictions in the law regarding the exercise of free speech. Crying "fire" in a crowded environment when there is no fire is a crime. So, too, is disturbing the peace with loud and offensive language. So free speech is not unabridged. So, too, should the right to keep and bear arms.
We should be able to impose reasonable restrictions on any rights. And we would in the case of the Second Amendment, except for the legislative restrictions the gun lobby has managed to get inserted into law; it claims it wants the current laws enforced but is devious enough to legislatively prevent their enforcement.
It is time the general public understood that the gun lobby does not exist to protect the gun rights, but to enhance their political and financial power. Reasonable restrictions on gun ownership is in the public interest, but not in the gun lobby's interest.
Albert Abrams
Bakersfield
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