Tracy,
Just food for thought...

Say there comes a time where Americans need to form militas to overthrow a corrupt government. With a registration, the government now has an update and accurate list of people who own weapons. Kind of tips the scale in their favor, huh?

What if the British had a registry back in the Revolutionary War days? I'd bet we would have the same goofy accent and odd sense of humor that Terry M. has.

Plus, we would have bad teeth. (I caught Austin Powers on cable the other day)

>If every single weapon was registered, then we would at least know who owned the weapon was it was used. Stolen weapons would be immediately reported and owners would transfer the ownership when they transfered the weapon (to avoid being blamed for a crime they didn't commit). they could be handled like vehicles (causing more deaths than firearms). Required training, certification, and licensing and registration...
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>>>We have a national registry in Canada - It doesn't work. It's just a big waste of tax money. All it did was make every gun own a criminal in the eyes of the law. The government has since abandoned registry of long guns.
>>
>>The gov is abandoned it for ideological reasons. Just about every police chief in Canada wanted it to stay. Talk to the police. They didn't seem to think it was useless. They liked the idea of having at least some idea of whether or not there were guns in the residence when they had to go on a domestic call. The Harper government is ideologically and umbilically attached to the conservative right, and that's the only reason they abandoned it.
>>
>>>
>>>>I think there should be a national registry AND a national firearms license.
>>>>
>>>>Right now in the US a 16 year old kid can get a driver's permit and get behind the wheel of a
>>>>dangerous vehicle.
>>>>
>>>>A potential gun owner should be required to attend training before being awarded a license.
>>>>Then each time he/she buys a gun, it's entered into the database.
>>>>
>>>>Not only is the person tracked, but trained. This would reduce the accidental deaths by guns and
>>>>help track firearms.
>>>>
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>>>>>Tracy,
>>>>>
>>>>>Interesting links....and really supporting what is common sense.
>>>>>
>>>>>By the way, does anyone recall the Islamic looting that took place in Europe right after the 9/11 attacks? Makes you wonder if all those guys would have done so, had they known that their victims would have been able to defend themselves.
>>>>>
>>>>>I'm open to discussion on specifics of making sure that background checks for gun owners are as full-proof as possible. But the notions being promoted by some here are just way off base.
>>>>>
>>>>>Kevin