A few questions should be asked in regard to Gov. Andrew Cuomo's new gun law.
Is it reasonable? Consider the seven-bullet limit. Ask whether criminals are going to honor that. Whether through illegal means or simply going to another state, criminals will get their hands on more standard nine- to 12-round magazines. This means that in any confrontation between a law-abiding individual and a criminal, the good person will be at a disadvantage and outgunned by the criminal. Therefore, is it reasonable for a society to create a situation where law-breakers regularly outgun good and law-abiding people? Is it reasonable to put all law-abiding New Yorkers at a disadvantage when it comes to defending their lives?
In the landmark Heller Supreme Court decision, it was ruled that gun laws could not be used to forbid a weapon of common usage. One of the most popular rifles in America is the AR-15, owned by thousands of Americans. The NY SAFE Act's arbitrary "military-style feature" restriction makes this gun effectively illegal, along with numerous other models in widespread civilian use. From the get-go, this law is unconstitutional.
Also ask whether such nonsense would be tolerated in regard to our other rights. Voting registration is done to prevent fraudulent voting from canceling out people's legitimate votes. The SAFE Act's registration scheme is designed to discourage people from practicing their Second Amendment rights. Could you imagine the outrage if voter registration was used to discourage voting? Can we now also require registration of words or religion? If registration can be used to restrict Second Amendment rights, what is to prevent it from suppressing other rights? Nothing.
David Welch
Scotia