Punishing the Law Abiding

[legion]

Irresponsibly take on debt you can't afford? The politicians will punish those who lived within their means...

Can't be bothered to get a job? The politicians will punish those who have jobs...

In the same vein...

Don't follow gun laws? The politicians will punish who do...

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/02/27/news/doc47c612e097e5c810541779.txt

— Spurred by the shooting deaths of five students at Northern Illinois University, Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s former point man on hunting and outdoor issues says the state should charge more for gun licenses.

Former Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Joel Brunsvold told a House panel Wednesday that the state should boost the cost of a Firearms Owner Identification card to $25 for five years, up from its current level of $5.

The proceeds of the higher fee could help the Illinois State Police conduct more thorough background checks that might reveal an applicant’s prior mental health problems, he said.

You heard right. Our soon-to-be imprisoned governor has decided to raise fees for gun owners in Illinois to supposedly fund more extensive background checks.

Now, this is complete and total BS. The State Police in Illinois don't conduct any background checks. They simply call the FBI. (NCIC I believe.) The same phone call is made every time a gun purchase happens. The fee pays for the processing and printing of the FOID card.

No, this is thinly veiled attempt to punish lawful gun owners for the actions of criminals. Blago has shown nothing but contempt for those who own firearms while in office. He has spoken often of banning several types of guns. (All semi-automatic, all handguns, anything .50 or larger, so-called "assault weapons".) He has cut the funding for the DNR to the bone (while creating and bloating social programs). He has restricted public access to state property for hunting. He has attempted to introduce gun rationing/gun ban legislation at the height of a budget crisis.