"We the People" NFA petitions

[viperashes]

I'm not sure if this has already been posted anywhere. I couldn't find it on here.

There are two petitions right now. The first is to try to remove SBRs/SBSs from NFA.

https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petition...s-act/Zc2GTB4c

The second is to try to remove suppressors from NFA.

https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petition...s-act/6hm2ByPv

It's probably not going to happen, at least any time soon. But every voice heard helps. A buddy posted this on a different (non-gun) forum, so I figured I would pass it on here.

[Iraqgunz]

IMO it will simply draw more attention to an area that it isn't needed.

[viperashes]

Elaborate?

[Iraqgunz]

It's pretty self explanatory. Kind of like the idiots whoo write NFA Technical Branch to "clarfiy" something and then BATFE decides it needs to apply to everyone.

NFA stuff is pretty low under the radar. The government is getting money from every transaction they aren't going to let that go.

What could happen is some congress-critter who doesn't like guns decides he wants to raise the fees (when he sees its' only 200.00) and then we are paying double.

Lots of things could go wrong.

Elaborate?

[viperashes]

It's pretty self explanatory. Kind of like the idiots whoo write NFA Technical Branch to "clarfiy" something and then BATFE decides it needs to apply to everyone.

NFA stuff is pretty low under the radar. The government is getting money from every transaction they aren't going to let that go.

What could happen is some congress-critter who doesn't like guns decides he wants to raise the fees (when he sees its' only 200.00) and then we are paying double.

Lots of things could go wrong.

I see what you're saying. Honestly, I don't see the petition going anywhere past being exactly that. I do agree that the laws on NFA are asinine and outdated, but some of that does work to our advantage (i.e. $200 tax stamps). The Government could very well account for inflation from when that tax was originally imposed, and make it just as impossible now as it was back then to pay the tax.

I do feel that there should be some sort of reform for NFA rulings, and it should be reassessed, or at least better supervised at the agency level, because the ATF can pretty much take whatever they want as an interpretation of the existing laws.

[Pirate EC]

IMO it will simply draw more attention to an area that it isn't needed.

Not to mention all the people out there that are blissfully ignorant to the fact that "machine guns, silencers, and sawed off shotguns" aren't illegal in most places.

I agree that NFA laws are stupid. Criminals will continue to take hacksaws to their shotguns, and slap "pistol uppers" on their ARs. NFA only punishes the law abiding citizens who will actually pay the tax and go through the legal hassle.

[doriwoogie]

This on-line petition system that they've set up is interesting but I guess we'll have to see how it pans out. Some of the petitions on there are quite silly (in my opinion) and could cast the whole thing in a really bad light.

As for the two petitions regarding the sbr/sbs and suppressors, I would have to agree with IG's response. However there is one that is a bit more low key, and that is to increase manpower and efficiency for the NFA branch. I think that maybe helpful and perhaps less likely to pop up on the congressional radar.

Lastly, there is a petition to provide free internet to our troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, which I feel is worthy of signing.

[Javelin]

I see what you're saying. Honestly, I don't see the petition going anywhere past being exactly that. I do agree that the laws on NFA are asinine and outdated, but some of that does work to our advantage (i.e. $200 tax stamps). The Government could very well account for inflation from when that tax was originally imposed, and make it just as impossible now as it was back then to pay the tax.

I do feel that there should be some sort of reform for NFA rulings, and it should be reassessed, or at least better supervised at the agency level, because the ATF can pretty much take whatever they want as an interpretation of the existing laws.

True. But I see these tax stamps as the Government's way of creating a sort of Jim Crow law to keep average working people from being able to participate. I think the the whole $200 stamp is unlawful honestly considering it has nothing to do with Interstate Commerce (the entire premise of the NFA branch) for those firearms that never leave the state.

It needs to be repealed and that's the truth.

[viperashes]

True. But I see these tax stamps as the Government's way of creating a sort of Jim Crow law to keep average working people from being able to participate. I think the the whole $200 stamp is unlawful honestly considering it has nothing to do with Interstate Commerce (the entire premise of the NFA branch) for those firearms that never leave the state.

It needs to be repealed and that's the truth.

I absolutely agree that it should be repealed. I don't see the Federal Government doing that though, especially because our community is so small compared to the community that wants ALL guns gone. The entire reason NFA is now null and void and is no longer the issue it was when the laws were created.

NOT signing this petition isn't doing anything to stop it from being a public spectacle, so, I signed it because every signature helps draw notice to an issue that is known regardless, and not signing it isn't going to make it any less visible. If our Government wants to try to take away our right to own NFA weapons, I can almost guarantee that it will see a Supreme Court hearing, which, is maybe what this country needs to see to realize that these laws are unconstitutional.

[Dolphinvet]

I absolutely agree that it should be repealed. I don't see the Federal Government doing that though, especially because our community is so small compared to the community that wants ALL guns gone. The entire reason NFA is now null and void and is no longer the issue it was when the laws were created.

NOT signing this petition isn't doing anything to stop it from being a public spectacle, so, I signed it because every signature helps draw notice to an issue that is known regardless, and not signing it isn't going to make it any less visible. If our Government wants to try to take away our right to own NFA weapons, I can almost guarantee that it will see a Supreme Court hearing, which, is maybe what this country needs to see to realize that these laws are unconstitutional.

I don't want to see anything brought to the attention of Congress in regards to NFA. Look at what happened the last time that occurred, we lost our ability to have new machine guns. It could backfire and then we can't have new SBR's, silencers, AOW's, or anything else for that matter. In fact, being that the US is cash strapped, they could figure in inflation for 200.00 in 1934 dollars to 2011 dollars and then what kind of tax would we be looking at? Unless they could repeal the entire act, including the machine gun ban, it ain't worth messing with. And in the current political climate, there isn't a snowballs chance in hell of the machine gun ban being lifted.