Alphecca

A Couple Of Gun Things...

Loyal friend of Alphecca, Jay Fishman sent me this link to a story about an implanted chip in policemen's hands that would ensure that only they could fire their service guns. But this story has ramifications for the rest of us. As usual, I will simply post Jay's quote and comments. The first quote is from the story and the second from Jay:

A Florida company has come up with a computer chip that could keep police guns from firing if they fall into the wrong hands.

The tiny chip would be implanted in a police officer's hand and would match up with a scanning device inside a handgun.

If the officer and gun match, a digital signal unlocks the trigger so it can be fired. But if a child or criminal would get hold of the gun, it would be useless.

Palm Beach-based Verichip Corporation says the technology is the latest attempt to create a so-called "smart gun."

Verichip has marketed similar microchips for security and medical purposes. It said today that it has a partnership with gun maker F-N Manufacturing to produce the smart guns. The companies have developed a prototype and are working to refine its accuracy.

Similar developments are underway at other gun manufacturers and research firms.

As you probably know, New Jersey has mandated that only "smart guns" be sold as soon as the technology becomes "viable."

Suppose that the technology from the above article, but no other, becomes "viable." Does this mean that New Jersey residents must consent to chip implantation in order to buy a workable gun?

It seems to me that this might raise interesting legal issues.

(As usual, gun control advocates had to exempt police in order to pass their "smart gun" legislation. In this case, the irony of police exemption from "police gun" technology would be even more striking.)