In a move that further cements The Land of Lincoln’s place as the most firearms unfriendly state in the union, Illinois lawmakers yesterday approved two bills in subcommittee that would make common criminals out of otherwise law-abiding citizens by banning the possession of commonly owned firearms and the standard capacity magazines that they use. Calling them “assault weapons” and “high capacity magazines,” lawmakers attempt to vilify and disgrace those who own these items. If these two bills were signed into law, (Governor Pat Quinn is known for being an anti-rights advocate), they would be completely unconstitutional and they would instantly make thousands of Illinois residents into criminals for the mere possession of items that are otherwise protected by the United States Constitution.
If the citizens of Iowa think it can’t happen on the west side of the Mississippi River, they need to think again. Iowa State Representative Dan Muhlbauer (D-Manilla) has proposed doing the very same thing in Iowa. In an interview with the Daily Times Herald, Muhlbauer believes that owners of these items need to turn them in through government sponsored “buyback” programs. Failing that, it would be time to have law enforcement officers go into confiscation mode and forcibly remove them from owners.
According to Muhlbauer – who admits to owning three firearms – the items he wants to ban “are not hunting weapons.”
Once again, someone who is an elected official and who has taken an oath to uphold the laws of the state and country fails to understand the true meaning of the Second Amendment. Hunting was the furthest thought in the minds of our founding fathers when they wrote that amendment. Instead, they were concerned about politicians who would take away the liberties of citizens in the name of the “public good.” Or whatever other reason seemed to fit the bill at the time.
Something Rep. Muhlbauer needs to consider is the body count that would occur with his proposal. Does he believe that the good citizens of Iowa would willingly give up their firearms? If he answers that honestly, who does he believe will carry out the confiscation process? Local law enforcement? The National Guard? The regular military? Local law enforcement offices don’t have the resources for an intensive campaign such as this one. If some of the “bitter clingers” fight back and law enforcement officers get injured or killed in the process, that would further dampen any (lack of) enthusiasm that local police chiefs and Sheriffs would have for such a failed mission. The use of the National Guard or the regular military would likely present a conflict with The Posse Comitatus Act. The military may present a stronger force against the bitter clingers, but that only ensures that any battles over confiscation would be that much bloodier. In any case, the deaths of both civilians and the confiscators would be laid directly at the feet of Muhlbauer and any other legislator who approves such a disastrous plan.
Illinois lawmakers, law enforcement officers, and civilians seem to be on a collision course over the drive to make commonly owned firearms and the standard capacity magazines that feed them illegal to own. The good news for Iowans is that Governor Branstad has traditionally never been one to infringe on the firearms rights of the citizens he represents, but that doesn’t mean that anti-rights legislators like Rep. Muhlbauer won’t still try to push their agenda. Attempts to reinstate any sort of “assault weapons ban” will be met with resistance from the pro-rights side, to be sure. But any attempt to criminalize and confiscate items that are already legally owned would be disastrous.
Then again, perhaps that’s what the NeoComs want to see. It would give them the authority to declare martial law and further clamp down on pesky citizens who believe that the government has no place running our daily lives.
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