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Gun control laws are idiotic
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New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress has apparently reported to a city police station, where he likely faces criminal charges for shooting ... himself.
Burress accidentally shot himself in the thigh last Friday night while at a Manhattan night club, raising questions about whether he has a permit to carry a firearm legally. I'm guessing he doesn't considering he turned himself in at a police station, but why should that matter? There are no reports or witnesses suggesting that Burress threatened or shot anyone else with his gun, which means he's facing charges for the victimless crime of having a handgun in his possession.
So what's the point of New York's laws restricting individuals from carrying guns around town? Certainly it isn't to "prevent crime" because nobody would have even known Burress had a gun in the first place if he hadn't shot himself. And even if he'd shot someone else intentionally, clearly authorities would have learned about it only after it was too late to prevent harm to potential victims.
But the truth of the matter is this: Plaxico Burress did not use the gun to commit a crime; his possession of the gun itself was the apparent crime according to New York law.
You might argue that Burress has to be pretty stupid to shoot himself accidentally, but he can't be nearly as stupid as New York legislators who aim to criminalize the nonviolent actions of people who intend to harm no one.
