NY Senator Proposes Unconstitutional Gun Regulations After Arizona Shooting

As is the trend following a tragedy such as the Arizona shooting, lawmakers are calling for stricter gun laws and more Second Amendment restrictions. A new gun ban law is being proposed. Lawmakers seem to be under the mistaken belief that laws can keep criminals from purchasing and using firearms.

Senator Chuck Schumer, Democratic U.S. Senator for New York, is proposing new regulations to force Federal officials such as Army recruiters to inform the F.B.I. of applicant's illegal drug use. After the name is reported to the F.B.I., the name would be entered into a Federal database, and would be banned from legally owning a gun, Schumer claims that legislation is not necessary to effect this change- that existing laws support such regulations.

The Second Amendment guarantees the right of the individual to own weapons, including guns. The 2nd Amendment doesn't include disclaimers such as: The right of the People to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed- except when the People admit to illegal drug use.

President Obama, Commander in Chief of the U.S. Military forces, would be banned from owning a firearm if Schumer's proposed regulations went into effect. In his published book "Dreams", Obama states, "I blew a few smoke rings, remembering those years. Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it.". Obama has addressed his past drug use in other public forums as well.

Former U.S. Presidents have also admitted to past drug use in a public forum. In February 2005, George W. Bush said, "I wouldn't answer the marijuana questions. You know why? Because I don't want some little kid doing what I tried." In March 1992, Bill Clinton said, "But when I was in England I experimented with marijuana a time or two, and I didn't like it. I didn't inhale it, and never tried it again."

Schumer is proposing a regulation that would have prevented our current president and the last two U.S. Presidents from owning a firearm. How can a person banned from owning firearms be permitted to control a nation's military resources?

Currently people are restricted from exercising their 2^nd Amendment rights if: convicted of felony, awaiting trial on a felony charge, civilly committed to a mental institution or hospital, and in some states, if convicted on a domestic violence charge.

If Senator Schumer gets his way, Army, Navy, and Marine recruits who admit to drug use would be banned for life from owning or possessing firearms. This would cause a number of problems.

Military recruits would stop being honest with recruiters, which could lead to the military accepting people with active drug addictions. Recruiters may even counsel applicants to deny casual drug use to avoid being placed on the database.

F.B.I. resources that otherwise would be used to catch criminals would now be used to identify casual and habitual drug users.

A person who, at 18 or 19 years of age, admits to drug use would be placed in a F.B.I. database and banned from owning guns for life. Many young people make mistakes at that age, and most grow up to be honest, law abiding citizens.

Senator Schumer should not be permitted to restrict the gun rights of American citizens on the basis of current or past drug use. Doing so would not prevent crimes such as the Arizona shooting, Virgina Tech shooting, or Columbine.

Sources:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/16/schumer-require-military-report-applicants-drug-use-prevent-gun-purchases/

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/20/politics/20talk.html?_r=1

http://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/30/us/the-1992-campaign-new-york-clinton-admits-experiment-with-marijuana-in-1960-s.html