Friday, December 3, 2010

Portland's New Gun Laws

 The story sounds good but, reading the new norms I wondered if they'd be the same kind of minor victory as the guns-on-Amtrack-trains was for the other side. Of course we'll do just what the pro gun crowd did about the Amtrack deal, we'll tout this as a major victory in the fight for, how did the mayor say it, "the safety of our youth."

Three ordinances would hold adults responsible if their gun gets into a child’s hands, penalize gun owners who don’t report the theft or loss of a firearm, and designate shooting hot spots and allow the city to exclude certain gun offenders from them.

While the theft reporting and child protection laws have been passed in other major cities, criminal justice experts say the exclusion zones that would restrict gun offenders from areas designated as high in gun violence would be unique to Portland.

Two other code changes would set a 7 p.m. curfew for juveniles who have been convicted of a gun offense such as possessing or illegally using a firearm, and would enact a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 days in jail for a gun offender found carrying a loaded gun in a public place, including a vehicle or on transit.
I support these initiatives and applaud Mayor Sam Adams' efforts, but I don't think it'll help much. What's needed is licensing of all gun owners and registration of every gun plus no private transfers without a background check. That's haw to significantly make a difference in Portland's violence. That's how to significantly reduce the gun flow into the criminal world.

What's your opinion? Do you think Mayor Sam Adams is climbing the list of gun-rights enemies? What ranking might he have achieved with this?

Please leave a comment.

8 comments:

  1. "I support these initiatives and applaud Mayor Sam Adams' efforts, but I don't think it'll help much."

    Acknowledging it is half the battle. It is not too late to get help with your mental illness of hoplophobia.

    "What's needed is licensing of all gun owners and registration of every gun plus no private transfers without a background check."

    Quite right. Because gang bangers will be glad to call in for a background check every time they sell a stolen gun to their buddies. And we'll know too because criminals will all register their guns. Good job. That'll help.

    Enjoy your "minor victory" because Oregon has common sense State Pre-emption and these local ordinances are just symbolic gestures for the gun control crowd. They will not be enforced.

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  2. FWM is correct, Oregon has pre-emption laws that make these new "laws" illegal.

    They will not survive a court challenge.

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  3. What's needed is licensing of all gun owners and registration of every gun plus no private transfers without a background check.

    How does any of that keep a prohibited person from carrying a gun or using it in a crime?

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  4. I also notice that you applaud Portland for breaking the law. These new gun laws are illegal under state law.

    Why do you support criminals MikeB?

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  5. MikeB: “What's needed is licensing of all gun owners and registration of every gun plus no private transfers without a background check. That's haw to significantly make a difference in Portland's violence.”

    Since most of that is in effect in the entire state of California, you should be able to show us how enacting those initiatives made a significant difference in California’s violence.

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  6. TS, It's hard to show that. I believe the gun violence in California would be worse if not for their strict laws.

    About the criminals not obeying laws, you guys should give it a rest. You've seen my answer to that a number of times.

    No one says one criminal won't still sell a gun to another criminal regardless of how strict the laws become. But what would be affected is the point at which the gun passes from the world of legitimate gun owners, your world in other words, to the criminals.

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  7. "That's haw to significantly make a difference in Portland's violence" I suggest Portland makes a difference in level of violence by focusing police in doing its job and not by imposing more restrictions on law abiding citizens. Criminals disregard these laws anyway. Stop replacing officers on the streets with useless laws that ALWAYs end up being used in manner of "unintended consequences" against law abiding citizens.

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