My bill prohibits the importation, exportation, manufacture, sale, purchase, transfer, receipt, possession, or transportation of handguns and handgun ammunition. It establishes a 6-month grace period for the turning in of handguns. It provides many exceptions for gun clubs, hunting clubs, gun collectors, and other people of that kind. It sets a penalty of $5,000 or 5 years in prison for people who violate it.
Mr. Speaker, the American people are way ahead of the Brady bill at this point. I understand this has to be a very carefully crafted rule in order to move forward. It is important to take the first step with the Brady bill. But the American people realize this is already too little, too late. They demand more.
Mr. Speaker, there are many bills that have been introduced by my colleagues which do go further. This bill, H.R. 3232, the Public Health and Safety Act, will solve the problem in the future of the proliferation of handguns. We must go forward and stop the carnage on our streets, and the Brady bill is a very important first step.
U.S. Representative Major Owens, Democrat
November 10, 1993
Congressional Record
[This was during the debate about the Brady Bill. They regarded it as a “first step”. There were plans then, and now, to go much further than merely background checks. The background checks is nothing but a ruse. Background checks to reduce criminal access to guns is crazy talk. It’s real goal is an attempt at backdoor registration. Confiscation is the ultimate goal.—Joe]
Is it any wonder that Major Owens isn’t a congressman anymore? That bill is crazy. I couldn’t go along with it.
He wasn’t voted out of office. He retired. And he won reelection in 2004 with 94% of the vote so he wasn’t considered crazy by his constituents 11 years after he introduced that bill.
I don’t think you understand how dark those days were for gun owners. Politicians really did, and many still do, want to eliminate gun ownership in this country.
Ukm, Major owens wasn’t considered an extremist weirdo by the Democrat Party when he was in office. He was considered “senior leadership”.
Its never been about the guns, its about the control. Once the threat of the 2nd Amendment and its original intent (guard the people from tyranny of their own government) has been removed, there’s absolutely nothing to stop the removal of the rest of the Bill of Rights. Or the Constitution. Out goes the 2nd, in comes Amerika.
How can any part of his proposal be considered constitutional?
Let me give you a parallel example:
You have 6 months to turn in all of your Bibles, korans, and Hindu scriptures or you will be jailed for 5 years and fined $5000 dollars. Some exemptions will be granted for libraries to maintain copies of these forbidden texts that have proved to be so devisive for Americans and must be controlled. This is a good first step. [end].
Why is it that un-American politicians and anti-gun fanatics fail to see that the Second Amendment is one of our Bill of Rights and equally valid (arguably the most important one).
The BOR is not an a la carte menu where the government gets to pick a few of them to honor and leave others behind like overcooked green bean mush.
In addition, the states have joined the Union with their recognition of the BOR as part of the Constitution and are equally bound by them. Just the same way that my right to a jury trial and freedom of speech is protected in all states; my right to keep and bear arms should not be differentially treated when I move between one state and another. California, New Jersey, New York and other hellholes need to respect the Constitution on the Second Amendment a lot more like Texas and Arizona.
Those who try to disarm me, a good citizen, are the enemies of liberty and traitors.
How? By having courts that neither know nor care about the Constitution.
Once in a while the Supreme Court does something to defend the Constitution, but that’s the exception rather than the rule.
Yes, I guess I knew that. It was more rhetorical and hysterical type of comment.
Our courts are so inept at ruling in favor of the principles of our nation and the plain language of the Constitution that I shake in anger.