With the first anniversary of Elliot Rodger’s Santa Barbara attack just around the corner, California Democrats are pushing to expand the list of misdemeanors barring gun ownership for ten years.
State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) wants to commemorate the anniversary of Rodger’s attack by barring anyone charged with misdemeanor possession of ammunition on school grounds from gun ownership.
According to edhat.com, Jackson also wants to add “dealing in firearms without a license, petty theft involving a firearm, [and] selling ammunition to someone under 21” to the list of misdemeanors barring people from buying or a possessing a firearm for ten years.
Jackson said:
The horrific tragedy that happened nearly a year ago in Isla Vista has strengthened the resolve of so many of us that we must do more to prevent gun violence. We know that those convicted of nonviolent firearm-related offenses are more likely than the average person to commit very serious crimes in the future. They are five times more likely to be charged with crimes like murder, seven times more likely to be charged with other nonviolent firearm offenses, and four times more likely to be charged with new violent offenses. This bill helps keep guns out of the hands of those who shouldn’t have them and keeps our communities safer.
Besides the slippery slope of treating nonviolent offenders like violent offenders on the presumption that they may one day be violent, Jackson’s push overlooks the fact that Rodger’s May 23 attack was not strictly a firearm attack. In fact, Rodger stabbed and killed three people before he shot and killed three others.
So even without access to firearms, half Rodger’s victims would still be deceased.
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
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