Opinion

  I was surprised by the opinion of the supreme court regarding bump stock devices. The court has decided that they cannot be banned. They do not turn a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic one. I understand the reasoning, the logic behind that, but remain surprised, nonetheless. I agree that the device does not make a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic weapon. It does not increase the rate of fire just perhaps making it a bit easier to accomplish. How fast is your trigger finger? The number of rounds fired is totally dependent on the size of the magazine or clip. But the court has issued their opinion on that very narrow distinction and on that distinction alone.

  I read where there are already those proposing a ban on assault weapons once again. Biden has stated he would sign that legislation if put on his desk. What is being proposed is a ban on semi-automatic weapons. There is no such thing as an assault weapon. There are weapons designed to be used in an assault and they are capable of fully automatic firing. As long as you hold the trigger back the guns keeps firing. It's a proposal and an argument that has been made for years now. Fully automatic weapons have effectively been banned from public sale since 1932. We have been using semi-automatic weapons since the invention of the revolver. 

  I'm a firm believer in the second amendment. I often point out one statement it makes, "shall not be infringed" as the definitive meaning of that amendment. A disarmed populace is vulnerable to government control. We the people are that government and should remain armed, that well-armed militia mentioned in the legislation. That being said I have to say I question the need for a bump stock device. I can see no legitimate purpose for that. Perhaps if you don't have any fingers to pull the trigger it would be handy, but that seems unlikely as it will continue to fire until you remove the weapon from your shoulder, or the ammo runs out. 

 That is all the bump stock does, eliminate the need for a finger to pull the trigger. So, I'm saying it isn't anything with a practical purpose. I think that perhaps the ban on manufacturing such things should be revisited. It doesn't change a semi-automatic weapon into a "machine" gun, that is a fact. That is what the court ruled upon. In my way of thinking it is simply a gadget, a toy, something used for amusement with no real practical application. I'm thinking it may prove to be a safety issue. But that argument is tenuous at best. All objects can be dangerous, present a safety issue if used by inexperienced people or misused. So maybe there can be no restriction on them. That's what the court is saying right now. Does the addition of a bump stock make the weapon less safe? I don't know, is a self-driving car less safe than one with a person behind the wheel? Same concept, you pull the trigger or activate the car and just hold on. It's all a matter of opinion.