Take Away The Ammunition

Hi! I don't want your guns. I'll just take your bullets.

Socialist Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut took a skewed look at the Second Amendment. He realized that attempting to ban or further restrict firearms will meet heavy opposition. He sees that Second Amendment and understands it is broad enough to deem any gun control law as an infringement. His solution, instead, is to grab ammunition.

It is almost a smart concept. Without bullets, guns are reduced to thrown projectiles or bludgeoning devices. Unfortunately, Senator Blumenthal failed to look at the studies. Hammers and other bludgeoning devices have been the weapons of choice in more assaults and murders than guns have.

That fact not withstanding, the Second Amendment also reaches beyond just the bullet launchers. It also covers the projectiles themselves. Common sense and logic dictate that rendering an object useless is an infringement upon its use and ownership.

His proposal is to enter a bill that requires federal background checks for all ammunition purchases. While this won't prevent law-abiding citizens from purchasing ammunition, it will deter and reduce ammunition sales. The costs of the background checks will cause the prices of ammunition to increase. Each purchase will require more man-hours from both the seller and the government workers. That increase in man-hours for the government workers will cost the taxpayers. In an economy that demands cuts to out-of-control and irresponsible government spending, that is just plain stupid.

In addition, this bill could ban private citizens the liberty to reload their own cartridges. That is yet another infringement upon the Second Amendment. It is also a violation of the 4th Amendment should it be enforced. Let us not forget that any such law cannot affect those private citizens who already reload their own ammunition as Article 1 Section 9 Clause 3 of the US Constitution prohibits ex post facto laws.

Blumenthal's proposed act of tyranny is not the only bill that infringes upon the Second Amendment by attacking ammunition. Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY-4) wants all ammunition dealers and loaders to be licensed.  She wants to ban all internet sales. She wants to ban all mail orders. She wants all ammunition transactions to be face to face, meaning that even gun dealers will have to travel, by motor vehicle, with a truck, to personally purchase and pick up the supplies for their store.

This bill is also a direct attempt to cripple private businesses. This bill will put companies such as CheaperThanDirt.com out of business. Cheaper Than Dirt is but one of several online and mail-order companies that provides bulk ammunition at discount prices. This bill would essentially make their business model illegal.

Neither of these bills address so-called black powder firearms. These are muzzle-loaded firearms such as the old ball and powder muskets from the days of the War for Independence. Such weapons present a greater danger of accidental discharge or explosive misfire than semi-automatic pistols. Yet they are not targeted by this legislation.

These and other proposed bills that target ammunition have lead to an increased demand for ammunition. Sales have boomed to the point that there is a supply shortage. While such a supply shortage may give gun-grabbing socialists that "warm fuzzy feeling" of success, they are anything but. This supply shortage has a direct, negative effect on the military and law enforcement agencies. In Georgia, the shortage is already expected to negatively impact police training and may lead to rationing among police officers.