.50 caliber rifles still not used by terrorists in the U.S.--New Jersey must act!

Apparently, Bryan Miller has some competition for "Most Hysterically Anti-Gun Rights Writer at NJ.com." I refer here to George Amick, who apparently views the banning of large rifles as a choice of "sanity vs. paranoia." Actually, I suppose I agree with that--I just happen to have different ideas about which is which.

Many years have passed since the New Jersey Legislature last dared to cross the gun lobby by passing a piece of legislation that the lobby didn't like

That statement surprises me, but not being a close follower of New Jersey politics, I suppose it might be true (although New Jersey's "smart gun" law--one that I certainly hope would "cross 'the gun lobby,'" passed in 2002--is six years "many years"?). If so, I submit that the reason is that NJ's gun laws are already so draconian that there simply isn't much room for more restrictions.

It soon may have a chance to redeem itself.

Ah--the redemptive power of tyranny.

A2116, sponsored by Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D-Princeton Borough, would ban private sale and possession of .50-caliber sniper rifles and ammunition. Here's what you should know about .50-caliber rifles:

They are military firearms . . .

Let's assume for the moment that Scott Bach is wrong, and that A2116 will not ban all kinds of hunting guns and historic black powder arms, or that the amendment passed yesterday adequately addresses that problem--let's assume, in other words, that only modern .50 caliber rifles (and handguns like the .500 S&W) would be affected. That would mean that this is a "military firearm" (I am not conceding, by the way, that there's anything wrong with The People keeping and bearing "military firearm(s)"--that is, after all, the point of the Second Amendment--just pointing out the ridiculousness of Amick's assertions):

Speaking of "military firearms," the Colt Single Action Army, the M1903 Springfield, and a great many other guns owned by large numbers of civilians for a hundred years or more have served the military with distinction--should we ban all those, too (on second thought, don't answer that, George and Bryan)?

. . . designed to fire armor-piercing incendiary or explosive rounds . . .

And also designed to fire the lead and copper rounds generally available to civilians, as opposed to being restricted to governments.

Terrorists armed with these guns and posted more than a mile away could find choice targets in what Ceasefire NJ, an organization that works for sensible gun laws, calls "New Jersey's soft civilian infrastructure": airports and planes, rail cars carrying hazardous materials, and refineries and chemical plants where highly flammable, explosive and toxic items are stored.

Funny that with Ronnie Barrett having begun marketing rifles chambered for the .50 BMG cartridge over 20 years ago, not one such attack has occurred in the U.S. It's almost as if terrorists don't really see these rifles as being all that useful for attacking the U.S.

Amazingly, though, .50-caliber sniper rifles are less strictly regulated than handguns.

Easily fixed--just stop regulating handguns (don't thank me--I'm happy to help).

Bryan Miller, head of Ceasefire NJ, and his organization will use the month's delay to tour the state, displaying .50-caliber rifles and demonstrating their destructive power to the public.

Oohh--the Bryan Miller .50 Caliber Hysteria '08 Tour! As for "demonstrating their destructive power," is Bryan going to fire one (it seemingly being rather difficult to demonstrate a gun's "destructive power" without doing so)? Now that would be something to see.

Modern .50 caliber rifles are used so rarely in crimes that it's national news when they are, and have never, to my knowledge, been used to kill anyone in the U.S. Make it impossible to use them legally, though, and the only thing left to do with them is to use them illegally. Is that what you want, New Jersey?

Days of Our Trailers has more on the latest goings-on with A2116.