Alphecca: As If New Jersey Needs More Gun Laws

June 16, 2006

As If New Jersey Needs More Gun Laws

Because, you know, it's so easy now to legally buy a gun there... From the Jersey Journal:

With two dozen members of the National Rifle Association present, Jersey City council members backed down from two of the three gun control ordinances they'd introduced two weeks ago at the behest of Mayor Jerramiah Healy.

[...]

But in the end, the council approved only the least controversial of the three ordinances, making it a crime not to report a lost or stolen firearm to police within 48 hours of the discovery of its disappearance.

The ordinance, to be enacted in 20 days, carries a penalty of up to $10,000.

"You bought it, you lose it, you pay for it," said Brennan, one of the eight unanimous votes for the ordinance.

The other two ordinances had to be reintroduced by the City Council because they were substantially changed from first reading May 24.

As initially introduced, the first ordinance would have barred residents from buying more than one gun every six months. The second would have outlawed the possession of "Saturday night specials," also known as "junk guns" - meaning inexpensive, short-barreled handguns.

[...]

On Wednesday, the City Council voted to reintroduce the two ordinances, changing the first to restrict gun purchases to no more than one handgun a month, and the second to reflect a new, more precise definition of what constitutes a "junk gun."

Under the reintroduced ordinance, a "junk gun" has a barrel 3 inches or less; an overall length, including the grip, of 41/2 inches or less; or does not meet various safety and manufacturing standards. In addition, a licensed gun dealer can appeal to the police chief to have a particular gun exempted from the law.

Interesting that the financial penalty for failure to report a stolen gun is greater than what would be levied on the crook who stole the gun.

Note also that the Baretta Tomcat I own -- a precise little .32 pictured with my cat on the sidebar -- would be illegal under their "junk gun" ordinance.

Anyway, I'm sure all the thugs and gang bangers out there will heed these new ordinances just as they do all gun laws. The residents of Jersey City can sleep safer now...

Posted by Jeff Soyer at June 16, 2006 07:09 AM

Comments

The second I have enough experience in the new technology I am learning at my new job, I am so out of this state.

Posted by: tomWright at June 16, 2006 07:31 AM

As a resident of Jersey City I can honestly say ....

::sigh::

Nevermind.

Posted by: Guav at June 16, 2006 08:34 AM

They know nothing about firearms or crime control. The laws they come up with are just monkey-see, monkey-do. Jack

Posted by: Jack Lorenz at June 16, 2006 08:41 AM

It's Jersey City, whaddya expect? This is such a wretched state, sometimes.

Posted by: Eric Blair at June 16, 2006 10:09 AM

On a possibly positive note, I stumbled upon the "New Jersey Firearms Academy" just a couple blocks from my house: http://njfirearms.com/

Posted by: Guav at June 16, 2006 11:55 AM

I think the most telling part is (like you mentioned) the fact that not reorting it stolen is a more serious crime than the theft itself. That pretty much sums up who the government sees as the REAL threat.

Posted by: Reason at June 16, 2006 11:56 AM

1. No more than one handgun at a time? Usual silliness against collectors and/or estate purchases. Not against criminals, of whom I have the impression they seldom bother to buy more than one and then do not report the purchase anyway...
2. "...a licensed gun dealer can appeal to the police chief to have a particular gun exempted from the law." How about a gun type or manufacturer, such as your Beretta? Sounds like every sale requires the seller to petition for an exception to the particular gun, probably by serial number.

Possibly {I have my doubts) well-intentioned, but not thought-out unless the intentions are not well-meant.

Posted by: teqjack at June 16, 2006 07:07 PM

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June 16, 2006

As If New Jersey Needs More Gun Laws

By Golly, you're reading an archived post. Click Here to head to the main page and read current stuff...

Check it out:

My group sci-fi blog novel:

Colony: Alchibah