‘Smart Guns’: Another Step Towards Gun Control

Having a gun that only fires when the owner pulls the trigger may sound like a good idea. Afterall, if a gun won’t work for anyone else then you know for sure who shot whom.

Taking a closer look shows the flaws in the plan.

For a start, the gun owner will no longer know his family is protected when he is out of the house…only he can fire the gun rendering it useless for the family left at home.

Looking at the wider perspective, how long will it be before the government restricts sales of guns to ONLY those who can be fired by the registered owner of the weapon? This will be done under the guise of making law enforcement simpler, police will KNOW who fired the weapon removing ambiguity. Will such a move render forensic techniques such as checking for gunshot residue a thing of the past in cases where smart guns are involved?

What happens when the gun is fired but none of the other evidence stacks up? This will happen, we already know from other smart appliances that there is always someone who can work around the system.

It’s very unlikely criminals will comply with this gun law any more than they have complied with other gun laws, or any other laws. The law abiding public at large will be at a distinct disadvantage.

A smart gun that works when an electronic wrist worn device is close by has hit the shelves in California, but many in the government would like the technology to go even further by incorporating a fingerprint scanner into the grip.

The National Rifle Association also feels that smart guns will lead to tighter and tighter restrictions:

“government mandates that require the use of expensive, unreliable features, such as grips that would read your fingerprints before the gun will fire,” according to the Web site of its lobbying arm, the Institute for Legislative Action. “And NRA recognizes that the ‘smart guns’ issue clearly has the potential to mesh with the anti-gunner’s agenda, opening the door to a ban on all guns that do not possess the government-required technology.”

Implementation of any kind of technology that restricts the firing of a gun to its registered owner is a step backwards for the safety of families across the nation.

I am all for gun safety, and as soon as the government comes up with something that stymies the criminals as well as the law abiding citizens of the United States I will sign up for it. Until then my non-smart guns will remain the mainstay of my home defense system, be that legal or otherwise.