New Hampshire House Passes Gun Control Bills

by Tom Knighton: While New Hampshire's red flag bill died in committee, the state isn't done with gun control.

It seems that when they weren't complaining about pearl necklaces, Democrats in the state managed to figure out how to push a couple of anti-gun bills through the House.

The New Hampshire House approved several bills Tuesday aimed at tightening the rules on gun purchases in the state, a dramatic shift in a state known to have some of the least restrictive laws in the country.

Supporters in the Democratically-controlled body voted 199-147 in favor of a bill that would mandate a seven-day waiting period on gun sales. The House also approved a bill 203-148 that requires criminal background checks on commercial sales and a seven-day waiting period for gun purchases.

The bills now go to the Democratically-controlled Senate.

Supporters of the waiting period bill argued that limiting the access to guns could dramatically cut the suicide rates in the state.

"Waiting periods can and do save lives by preventing impulsive acts of violence and suicide," House Majority Leader Doug Ley said, claiming that suicide rates have gone up nearly 50 percent between 1999 and 2016 in New Hampshire.

"Our most important job as legislators is to protect and preserve the health and safety of all New Hampshire citizens and I am pleased that the House voted today to do just that," he said. "It is imperative that New Hampshire join the ranks of states that take this important action to avoid violent tragedy."No, jackwagon, your most important job is to protect and preserve the Constitution of the United States. Why? Because that's something you can do.

Lawmakers who try to "protect" people have an annoying tendency to overstep people's rights. After all, these are people who supposedly need to be protected from themselves. What's next? A seven-day waiting limit for rope?

Suicide is a terrible tragedy. It is.

However, it's not necessarily a preventable one. A waiting period for a gun won't stop someone from trying to kill themselves. At best, it'll push them to use another method. More likely, they wait and get the gun after the period is over. Either that or find someone to sell them a firearm directly. After all, the state still doesn't have universal background checks.

Speaking of background checks, the background check bill they passed, however, is on commercial sales. That means licensed dealers. You know, the people who are required by federal law to conduct background checks?

Honestly, there's nothing these people are looking to pass that's good news, nothing at all, and especially since the state has a Republican governor who is likely to veto all of this anyway. Thankfully.

But it doesn't seem to stop anti-gun lawmakers from trying to push this stuff. Why? The only answer I can come up with is that they honestly think they're winning hearts and minds by passing useless bills.

The worst part is that, with their base, this kind of nonsense will work. Pathetic, I know, but what else do you expect from anti-gun zealots?
-----------------
Tom Knighton is a Navy veteran, a former newspaperman, a novelist, and a blogger at Bearing Arms. He lives with his family in Southwest Georgia.

---

Tags: Tom Knighton, Bearing Arms, New Hampshire House, Passes, Gun Control Bills To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
Source