Government to Mandate Time Machines in All Post Offices

The New Jersey legislature has just voted to require use of a technology that doesn’t exist. The Childproof Handgun Bill will require that all guns sold in the state be equipped with a device that allows only the owner to fire it – that is, once someone creates such a technology. Naturally, illegally-obtained guns used by criminals will probably not end up being similarly equipped. In addition, the device will keep other family members from using father’s gun in self-defense in the event of a home intrusion. As with trigger locks and other safety measures, anything that slows down response time or makes the weapon less accessible puts the potential victims of a violent crime in greater danger. But, Mrs. Brady says, they help keep children from firing guns! Yes, the more you do to lock up a weapon, the less likely it will ever be fired. People who think that private ownership of firearms for self-defense is legitimate at all, though, need to acknowledge the trade-off. “Safety” legislation can make people less safe, sometimes fatally so.

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