Obama changes (insert) amendment???

[Tanasi]

A technical issue - long arms (rifles, shotguns, and in some cases, machine guns) ARE "small arms". The "breaking point" between "small arms" and heavy weapons (such as artillery) falls somewhere between .50 caliber and 20 mm.



Instead of "misdemeanors OK, felons permanent ban", I'd say that the distinction should be made between violent and non-violent offenses. For example, someone convicted of common assault (involved in a bar fight) as a misdemeanor would be a greater risk than someone who hacked into a database and stole thousands of credit card numbers. After all, which of these people, if they got their hands on a firearm, would be more likely to use it for illegal purposes - someone who committed a misdemeanor involving violence, or someone who committed a non-violent felony?

As for your example of filling up in DC, by your own arguments that should get you banned from owning guns - anyone who would go THROUGH DC, instead of going around it on the beltway, when they're "just passing through", is a wack-a-doodle. There are enough gas stations just off I95 both north and south of the beltway that you'd have no need to make a stop in the city. On the other hand, if you were "taking in the sights" at national monuments in the city, that wouldn't be a simple case of "just passing through".

Technically "Small arms" hasn't been defined by the BATFE for civilians. Generally small arms are those that are and can be transported by soldiers upon their persons. While I'd imagine it's possible for one soldier to tote a Ma-Duce and tripod it's totally impracticle. Basically as you said inside diameter of 20mm and smaller is considered a small arm excluding rockets and artillery.

I'm not inclined to change my mind regarding felons. The next person that I meet that committed a non-violent felony by accident will be the first. Committing a felony with intent means to me you are intentionally breaking the law consequences be damned. Therefore part of the punishment is loss of certain privileges for like with loss of firearm ownership and usage as well as voting. Now there should be an appeals process that IMO is intentionally difficult.

Well DC is both a poor example and good example of my point. As a person that doesn't live in that area I'm not familiar with the distribution of gas stations. I still say that a person just stopping to fill-up, make a repair or even getting a bite to eat shouldn't be hassled by the police. There should be a law regarding the private transportation of firearms that is fair to the firearm owner.

For myself "seeing the sights" doesn't but yet does interest me. I would like to tour the museums in DC but I'm not interested in the monuments. Considering the crime stats in DC I'm not likely to visit as I don't want to risk becoming a statistic or making someone(s) else a statistic. I guess it's good that I'm mostly a home body and dislike travel.
I would also love to visit the Field Museum in Chicago but as things are I won't darken that state with my presence.