What are the best arguments against a U.S. national gun registry?
This question has been asked and answered many times here on Quora. Here is one of my answers for another thread:Here is exactly why:In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control:· From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.-----------------------In 1911, Turkey established gun control:· From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.-----------------------Germany established gun control in 1938:From 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.-----------------------China established gun control in 1935: From 1948 to· 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.-----------------------Guatemala established gun control in 1964:· From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.-----------------------Uganda established gun control in 1970:· From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.-----------------------Cambodia established gun control in 1956:· From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.-----------------------56 million defenseless people were rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control.-----------------------You won't see this data on the US evening news, or hear politicians disseminating this information.Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws adversely affect only the law-abiding citizens.With guns, we are 'citizens'; without them, we are 'subjects'.During WW II, the Japanese decided not to invade America because they knew most Americans were ARMED!One lone nut with a gun may kill a few but unchecked governments kill millions.
Are these the benefits of using a national gun registry?
1. Without proof of an ownership certificate, you may be buying stolen goods. 2. Trying to sell a firearm would trigger a review of the new owner's licence status. 3. Having registered your firearms, police can return recovered firearms to their rightful owners. 4. Once law abiding owners have registered their firearms, those who haven't can be charged under the Criminal code for failure to register. This gives police a new clear cut avenue to fight criminal behavior. 5. By having access to a firearms registry database, a police officer knows HOW MANY firearms will be present at a given address, and how many to remove from harm's way. 6. The computerized data base will make it easy to trace the last known owner of a firearm. This will give police a valuable starting point for their investigation and create potential for a higher rate of solved crimes involving a firearm. 7. Knowing that a firearm is registered in a database linking the individual to the firearm will ensure that gun owners take more care of firearms. Responsible owners are more likely to store their firearms safely and securely to prevent loss or accidents, and more likely to report a loss or theft in the hopes of recovering their weapon. 8. Newly manufactured inventory will be automatically registered. Any firearm imported into the country for sale will be traceable throughout its history. Illegal shipments will be easier to stop. Customs officers will be able to identify shipments against the database.
Why do gun owners oppose registration of their guns? After all, there are other things that need to be registered, such as cars. Is it too much to ask to ensure that guns don't fall into the wrong hands, so that everyone feels safe?
Personally, as a gun owner in Canada, I see the merits of a registry for firearms. In THEORY, it keeps gun owners accountable for the guns they buy. People can't buy a gun and then sell it to someone who shouldn't own one without being held accountable for illegally selling it (assuming the buyer is caught). Great, right? In reality, the registry has been used to enforce bans on specific firearms. People have actually had the police knock on their doors to take their gun away, for no other reason than someone deciding to change the firearm's classification. It is something that happens.This is a big deal for firearms enthusiasts; the government can come and take your legally owned property, sometimes without compensation, because it's been taken off 'the list'.Recently, someone at the RCMP decided to reclassify a few rifles that were previously in the non-restricted category (basic gun license needed, no registry, can do what you want with it) to the prohibited category (for all intents and purposes; banned). So now (if I owned one), I can't take my rifle anywhere anymore, without risking jail time and license suspension.That, my friends, is bullshit. Luckily, we got rid of our long gun registry a while back because (for some reason) it was ridiculously expensive. So they can't really come and take these rifles. But if they stay banned, they will sit in the owner's safe until they die. Thank you RCMP, that's 700-3000+ dollars of our money you've made useless!TLDR: Gun registries are often used to enable confiscation. This is what has happened when we've had gun registries in the past.I honestly wouldn't mind having to register my guns at all, if the possibility that the government could use that list to enforce bans was eliminated. If gun control advocates said;"Hey, we want to pass a law that requires you to register your guns, but we don't want to ban any more guns."Then I'd say, "Im not falling for that again!"Then they could say "We'll even make it so we can't ban anymore guns."Then we would have a deal. Provided people keep their word, of course.
How can I register a gun in my name in Va?
The gun is not registered to your dad because Virginia does not require handgun registration. Your dad probably completed paperwork and a background check when buying the weapon from a dealer. The dealer keeps this paperwork. No Virginia or Federal government agency keeps firearms registration records. Unless your father is a firearms dealer, he can sell you and/or give you the weapon without a background check (so long as you can legally own and possess a firearm pursuant to both Virginia and Federal Law). If he sells/gives it to you, it is your weapon. Please be safe when you carry and remember to secure it in your home. Hope this helps. S