Right now, in most states, there is a perfectly legal way to get someone locked up, at least temporarily, with no due process.
They go to law enforcement, or get someone to go to the ER for something,
And then state the person is suicidal, homicidal, psychotic, etc. and the person is involuntarily committed.
This is usually done for a valid reason,
But to some degree it is abused.
When it is BS and abused, it still takes a day or two to get sorted out.
Now, the abuse of this is usually some spiteful, civil, etc. route.
We now have a version that will without any shred of doubt be politicized. It will also have another step where someone’s firearms have been seized. Some states have seriously left people out to dry legally in violation of FOPA and they maybe never got their guns back.
This red flag law stuff is not going to be pretty.
“Are the Red Flag laws going to be people’s line in the sand?”
No.
There will be shrieking, teeth-gnashing, and rending of garments, but mostly online and by a relatively small population sample. The majority will either just shrug, or say “Good! Finally”.
No. It will just cause gun owners to toe the straight line and keep a low profile. I already don’t tell anyone outside a tiny circle of contacts that I even own guns.
Nobody is turning in magazines in NJ. Or bumpstocks around the country (but for a Texas gun store). Maryland man already died defending his home from police over red flag laws. The line in the sand is already crossed. Missouri’s new proposals and sanctuary counties around the county are making this the red line official.
Wouldn’t be surprised if we start seeing unregistered NFA items popping up more frequently. Homemade guns are growing in popularly. People are weary of tyranny. It’s mostly the boomers and their marketing money pushing this anymore.
In the same way that the current invol system is abused a little bit by spiteful people,
I see the red flag laws being used on a larger, spiteful, political, etc. scale.
The universe doesn’t actually give a crap what you do. Some people seem to think that they are the direct target of these things.
Look at the number of 4473 violations that aren’t followed up on, crime in general that isn’t gone after. Now you think that they are going to name 10% of the phone book? How many of these could even a large county serve a day? 3? Most less than 1?
Could it be abused? Sure. You can get SWATed right now with almost the same end effect.
We always say that it is the person, not the guns. When they actually play the person, and not the guns, you have to support at least the concept. I am frankly, I don’t understand why we actually even need the laws. Either someone is a threat to the community and need to be dealt with, or they’re not. Guns or not it really doesn’t make a difference.
Twenty years ago firearms and outdoor sports were safe subjects of conversation at the bar, at dinner parties, at social gatherings, etc. Now you gotta refrain from even mentioning to someone who might be “the wrong people.” Used to be you could talk about guns with your liberal friends without hearing a lecture about how “nobody needs an AR15”. It’s not that way anymore. I don’t know how old you are, but I wish I could show people what it was like in the eighties and nineties when the MSM and the liberal politicians hadn’t demonized gun owners to the point that you had better not admit you own guns in front of certain people.
I dunno… maybe it’s just me but I can’t remember a time when something firearms was brought up randomly at a bar or other social gatherings. Even amongst gun owning friends.
I’ve asked this question before. There won’t be a red line, ever. If we get a NZ type ban, most will just bury them or hand them in. The 2A community talks a big game, and for the cast majority, that’s all it is. Talk.
For the most part I’ve simply given up on people and now “Everyone Sucks” until they prove different.
So many bad things can get worse by speaking to someone about something you enjoy or that is personal, why bother? Come here and vent a bit, ask some questions and weigh your results.
Other than that, until humans begin showing a bit of humanity, I aint got much faith in them.
I think most will just leave them under their beds and in their closets, assuming they’re safe because they’re not criminals and no one would want to burn them. The odds are in their favor in doing exactly that, but every cautionary tale will be one plucked from their ranks. There’s really only one question to ask:
