So this is really for *BUYING* a firearm, not just *SELLING*? Because if so, this has gone too damn far.
I guess that's my question. I thought this was just for those "selling" a firearm. Not that that's any better.
I was in the process of writing a letter to the council members when the issue got tabled. Heard Tuesday that it was going to be brought back up, and boom, it's law on Wednesday? WTF did I miss? Don't they have to read an ordinance three times before passage? I know they waive that sometimes, but usually not on something that's got some controversy attached.
Here's what I'm sending the council now:
"Hey, Omaha... in the middle of a budget crunch, when guns sales are at an all time high and you could be raking in tax dollars, you instead chase them out of town. Brilliant. Why don't you do a study of how much tax money you take in from gun sales in your city? Then... subtract all of it from next year's budget. While you're at it, let LaVista and Fremont know how much more tax revenue they can expect to receive.
Legal guns owners are going to stop buying firearms in Omaha. Not because we're criminals... criminals don't care about your laws... but because I'm tired of being treated as a "Criminal-in-Waiting." Oh, and since I won't be stopping at your gun stores, I won't be buying my ammunition and other supplies there either. With the average gun sale around $400-$500 (my educated guess), that's a lot of sales tax going right out of town.
If this is such a good idea, let's apply your logic to drunk driving. Here we go... stay with me: Anyone trading in a used car in Omaha will have to be fingerprinted. This will cut down on the number of drunk driving accidents in Omaha. Wait... what?
If you want gun crime reduced in Omaha, you need to:
1) Encourage legal gun ownership. When there's more of us than there are of them... that's a good thing.
2) Encourage legal concealed carry. An armed society is a polite society.
3) Focus your law enforcement efforts on criminals, not law-abiding citizens. You say you want the public's support. It's hard for us to help you when you keep kicking us in the teeth.
4) Stop pretending that lighting candles and holding "peace marches" are going to solve anything. Like it or not, you are in a war with the criminal elements. The soon you start acting like it and take pro-active, aggressive actions against the criminal element, the sooner you can hope to win.
Although I work in Omaha, I don't live in your City... I live in a small town. Criminals don't come here because they know "those rural people" keep guns around. I know it's a crazy thought... but what if the criminals thought that about Omaha? What might your crime rate be then?
Just some thoughts.