Monday, May 25, 2015

Gun ownership for some felons

Opinion

But should convicted non-violent felons be allowed to own a gun?

This question has found itself on the national stage and will likely be an issue in the 2016 Presidential Election. 

Last year, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul called for the restoration of voting rights for some non-violent felons. This idea has caught on with both parties. However, voting rights legislation will never succeed without some of these folks getting back their right to own guns as well. 

The right to own a firearm is not like the privilege to possess a driver’s license. It is, like the right to vote, a fundamental civil right. 

People convicted of non-violent felonies should not have a Constitutional right removed just because of the stigma associated with a felony conviction. 

There are thousands of examples of people who have been convicted of forgery, theft, and many other non-violent offenses. The vast majority of those cases did not even involve a gun. 

While these are criminal acts and should not be tolerated, the offender does not put our community at risk by keeping a handgun at home for personal protection.



1 comment:

  1. An interesting concept that would be a good thing I think. You serve your sentence and you start fresh. There is one thing I didn't agree with,

    "A simple idea would be for the General Assembly to pass a statute that just lists the offenses in Georgia that are considered “non-violent.”
    This probably should be a short list."

    Considering that this guy is a lawyer, he should know that its the other way around. The key words to look for are homicide, assault, and robbery.

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