The 2nd Amendment is Under Fire! Your thoughts??
The first thing to understand is that executive orders are temporary. Presidents can enact them, but their successors can rescind them at any time. Executive orders are often used by presidents from both sides of the aisle to bypass Congress when establishing rules and regulations. In terms of gun control, Obama used these orders as a way to institute a range of rules with respect to who has access to guns as well as who can buy, sell and trade them. This occurred despite broad opposition from Congress.
Limitations on Transactions
The executive orders specifically direct federal agencies to regulate the transfer of firearms from one person to another. This is primarily done in two ways. First, buyers are required to undergo background checks to ensure they quality for gun ownership. Second, sellers are required to register with the federal government and obtain a license to sell guns.
The aim is intended to reduce the amount of guns that are made available to criminals and others who are not psychologically stable enough to own a weapon. It is also intended to prevent unscrupulous individuals from engaging and profiting from the gun trade.
Burdening Individuals
However, these new regulations can also have an impact on individuals who sell guns on an occasional basis. Chances are that someone who puts an ad online on a periodic basis to sell a weapon will not fall under the licensing requirement. However, the language in the executive order is vague in terms of establishing a threshold that indicates when someone is conducting a commercial enterprise.
One thing is for certain, massive increases in federal law enforcement personnel as well as bureaucrats in multiple agencies will be paying more attention to what the average Joe who is trying to sell or trade a gun. It is also quite possible that the government can accuse an individual who sells one or two guns of violating the regulations due to the vague language. In other words, the potential for excessive governmental overreach into the private lives of citizens is entirely possible.
It is also entirely possible for the government to come after a seller if the buyer ends up committing a crime with the weapon. For example, if someone sells their old handgun or hunting rifle, as a private individual, to someone who is not legally allowed to have a weapon, they run the risk of being prosecuted.
This puts gun owners in a very precarious position as they are free to sell without processing a background check while facing the risk of backlash in the future.
Obama is not Taking Guns Away
Despite the intrusiveness of this executive action and burdens on sellers and buyers alike, the truth is that Obama is not taking guns from people. This action is not retroactive, and it does not involve weapons that people already own. It also does not impact the manufacture or distribution of guns that are legal.
This needs to be mentioned, in all fairness, despite the vehement opposition that many in the survival community have toward the Obama administration. Our guns are not going anywhere. The government is simply increasing its reach over the transaction of gun sales from here on out. Furthermore, chances are that if we get a Republican president elected in 2016, these executive orders will most likely be altered or rescinded.
Meanwhile, it’s important to understand that the federal government continues to exert more power and control over the citizens of this country. This action is one of many steps that have been undertaken to curb our freedom since 9/11, and there will be more to come. While we still have the freedom to bear arms, obtaining weapons may indeed become more and more difficult if our government continues on its current trajectory to wipe away our civil liberties.
Nothing is more important to the freedom of our nation than the right to keep and bear arms. This executive action is just one more step on a slippery slope that can erode our constitutional rights and transfer power from the people to the government. My advice is to stock up on your weapons now, legally. That way you can get grandfathered in if and when more restrictive policies come into effect.
