New York has absurdly rigid gun laws, and the city is worse. As far as the state is concerned, the AWB didn't sunset. CCW paperwork is some $140 (depends a bit by county, definitely 100+), takes 3-6 months to clear, requires three sets of fingerprints and infrequently grants unrestricted carry. Most sensible states cost around $20 and give clearance on the day they're submitted. And most relevant to this case, NY doesn't recognize CCW reciprocity from ANY other state. It's a really dangerous proposition to drive through the state with a pistol even if unloaded.
Even if the guy manages to get the charges dropped, I really doubt it'll change the law with in the state. BUT, this might help H.R. 822 along, just need the Senate to get off their collective asses.
Of course, with a country the size of the US there are going to be huge cultural differences between certain places, but if it is identified as a country then there needs to be some national unity when it comes to certain laws, a person shouldn't be breaking a law by acting one way in one place in the country, then going somewhere else and doing the same thing and being perfectly legal. Unless of course those laws are very specific to the environment, I can perfectly understand why hunting for example is legal in some places, but not legal in national parks. But some things just don't make sense to break up like this, licenses are definitely one of them.
Welcome to America, the country where approximately 98% of everyone has a criminal record. You brought Midol to school to deal with cramps? Too bad. That's drugs. Our zero tolerance policy says we must expel you and charge you with drug trafficking.
Why shouldn't the laws change? As HAL pointed out, we need national gun laws. You have states where you can open carry without a permit at all, but head to the state right next to you and you are suddenly breaking the law. Living in a fairly small state I can easily go through 2 states + the District of Columbia in a single 2 hour period, let alone in a day.states have drastically different gun laws, and that is unlikely to change, nor should it.
You may recall that the full name of our nation is the United States of America. We are a union of states that together make a nation. There are in fact quite a lot of federal laws, and in many ways they do work together - such as driver licenses, as you mentioned - but guns are a hot button political issue and different states have drastically different gun laws, and that is unlikely to change, nor should it.
I'll never understand why every state in America acts independantly from one another there seems to be no national law over there, it's like continent not a country.
The EU seems to have more common laws than the US.
Do you know the definition of "STATE?"
The federal government actually has far more control than the individual states ever intended to allow...mostly because of a poor interpretation of "inter-state commerce" a long time ago.
Of course, with a country the size of the US there are going to be huge cultural differences between certain places, but if it is identified as a country then there needs to be some national unity when it comes to certain laws, a person shouldn't be breaking a law by acting one way in one place in the country, then going somewhere else and doing the same thing and being perfectly legal. Unless of course those laws are very specific to the environment, I can perfectly understand why hunting for example is legal in some places, but not legal in national parks. But some things just don't make sense to break up like this, licenses are definitely one of them.
With guns, the US needs to decide one way or another which way they are going with them, then make a broad sweeping law that encompasses every state, so that you can make absolutely statements like "In America it is legal to carry a gun if you have a license" etc. Not "oh it's legal to have this gun there and that gun here, but if you take that gun there you're a criminal and if you take that gun out in public here it's fine, but do it two towns over and you're a criminal, unless... blah"
Do you agree with what happened to him?
I agree with you 100% but it will never happen. Places like New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco will never agree to having its citizens carry weapons legally and the rest of the country will never allow the government to take away that right.
That's ridiculous. Is there no room for common sense when it comes to enforcing the law?
Will of the people? wtf is this nonsense you speak?I don't think they should have to agree, there should be a referendum, then the national government should make up it's mind based on the will of the people.
I don't think they should have to agree, there should be a referendum, then the national government should make up it's mind based on the will of the people.
Will of the people? wtf is this nonsense you speak?
America has legalized bribery so I don't expect the bullshit to stop any time soon.
I never thought I could actually get behind HAL (hehe) on anything. But here we are, I completely agree.
That's ridiculous. Is there no room for common sense when it comes to enforcing the law?
Why shouldn't the laws change? As HAL pointed out, we need national gun laws. You have states where you can open carry without a permit at all, but head to the state right next to you and you are suddenly breaking the law. Living in a fairly small state I can easily go through 2 states + the District of Columbia in a single 2 hour period, let alone in a day.
I disagree, I think there needs to be an overhaul, when the country was conceived it was reasonable to assume that people would rarely travel from one end of the country to another, now it takes hours, this separated union notion is outdated and it causes serious issues when you are trying to form any notion of national identity, the country needs to be seen as a country not as a disconnected squabbling rabble of states with no real head other than a figure head.
People complain at the government for not fixing things in America, well how can they if they can't uniformly change anything.
So you think the concept of separate state governments and laws should be abolished, then? People in Alaska should be forced to live under the same laws as people in New York City? What could possibly be the rational explanation for that? Have you actually been to Alaska and NYC? They couldn't possibly be more different culturally, geographically, etc.
Look - there's a balance that needs to be struck. I'm not a hardcore libertarian that shrieks about tearing down the federal government, but at the same time, I'm not some hippy that thinks everyone should have exactly the same laws dictated by "the will of the people". Gun laws do belong in the hands of the states. The problem with this situation is that New York has a bad law with absurd mandatory minimums, its not a fault of the system as a whole.
I disagree, I think there needs to be an overhaul, when the country was conceived it was reasonable to assume that people would rarely travel from one end of the country to another, now it takes hours, this separated union notion is outdated and it causes serious issues when you are trying to form any notion of national identity, the country needs to be seen as a country not as a disconnected squabbling rabble of states with no real head other than a figure head.
People complain at the government for not fixing things in America, well how can they if they can't uniformly change anything.
It's our right as Americans to not give a flying fuck what foreigners think of us.
Of course not, there are certain laws that only need to be in certain areas, for example there is no need to have laws on how to deal with polar bears in Nevada, but there are some things that need to be dealt with at a national level, licensing is one of them.
This is complete shit, if I have already been threatened I don't want to have to go file for a CCW and wait for them to approve me before I can even think about defending myself. Maryland also does not have reciprocity for any other state.
Even if you have a common gun license, what does that mean? With your driver license example above, each state hands out its own license, and other states recognize said license - but that doesn't mean they have the same driving laws. If you are licensed in a state where its legal to camp in the left lane, and you travel to a state where its not, you still have to follow that state's laws - you don't get amnesty because your license is from another state.
When it comes to guns, there are in fact many states that do accept another state's CCW, much like a driver license. Which again comes down to bad laws in New York, not a flaw in the system as a whole.