HR 127 has been called “The Gun Apocalypse” and for good reason. Introduced by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson D-TX, this bill is formally known as the Sabika Sheikh Firearm Licensing and Registration Act. What HR127 ultimately does is wipe out the Second Amendment by making gun ownership unaffordable for all but the most affluent. Which is clearly the intent.
It’s ironic that the Democrats who preach criminal justice reform aren’t hesitating, with the stroke of a pen, to turn millions of law-abiding Americans into felons, punishing them with onerous fines and years of incarceration. Despite this, nothing in HR127 will disarm one violent criminal or reduce the gun homicide rampaging through our cities.
There is much about this bill that makes it unworkable and impractical but for the moment, I’ll focus the discussion on what it will cost your wallet.
Pony up, Mr. Gun Owner
This bill requires that every applicant for a gun license must first pay $800 to the US Attorney General for liability insurance. Never mind that as a gun owner, if you have homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, you already have gun accident insurance under the plan’s liability umbrella coverage. This requirement begs many questions such as, what experience does the AG have in managing insurance? How will claims be processed? Does this insurance protect a gun owner against law suits? Does this insurance cover legal expenses? There remain more questions and I’ll turn back to those later.
You’ll also be required to take 24 hours of training to include live firing training. Maybe you can find such training at $50 per hour so you’re talking $1200, minimum.
You want a gun? You must be crazy!
HR127 requires that every gun owner and member of the household undergo an evaluation by a licensed psychologist. Plus, this psychologist must interview any former spouses as well as at least two other family members or associates. Since the standards for these required evaluations are as yet not available, it’s difficult to determine how much they will cost but a reasonable estimate is $1000 each. Assuming three in your household, that’s at least $3000. Add another $1000 for the interviews—another estimate—and we’re talking $4000.
Also consider that HR127 mentions that these licensed psychologists must be approved by the AG. An Internet search shows about 100K licensed psychologists in the country and not every of them will be approved. Consider the evaluations required of gun owners and members of their households plus interviews with the ex’s and associates, that means less than 100K psychologists will be conducting hundreds of millions of evaluations and interviews. By what deadline? Those psychologists already have full schedules so we’re expecting them to take on such an avalanche of new clients on top of that? This situation will create a seller’s market of insane proportions. With that in mind, who knows what you’ll pay for a shrink’s time.
Speaking of pay…who will pay for these evaluations and interviews?
Not the AG, but you.
The psychological evaluation is offered with the premise it will be an accurate predictor of who should or shouldn’t have a gun. But in truth, those giving such evals, highly trained psychologists and psychiatrists, have a miserable record at protecting public safety. The shooters at Thousand Oaks, the Aurora Theater, and the Parkland high school had all been extensively evaluated for exhibiting dangerous behavior prior to the shootings, and yet nothing was done to prevent the ensuing massacres. And sadly, the increasing rate of suicides in this country shows that mental health professionals don’t have a firm grasp at preventing fatal self-harm.
If there is a hint that the AG’s licensed psychologists may bear any liability for a misdiagnosis, then expect the Catch 22 of HR127 to kick in:
We must keep the mentally disturbed from getting a gun
….and only the mentally disturbed would want a gun.
HR127: By the Number$$
How much will HR127 cost you, the law-abiding gun owner, to keep your property? Factor in fees (also unspecified) for the registration of each gun (don’t forget ammo), the permit application, and the permit itself so a lowball estimate for the first gun is:
Insurance: $800
Training: $1200
Psyche eval: $4000
Fees: ???
Total: $6000+
The AG’s Money Grab
Let’s return to the insurance. Assuming 75 million gun owners in this country, let’s say 25 million won’t pay this extortion and thus give up their guns. That means 50 million will jump through the financial hoops. The simple math of 50 million gun owners times $800 each means $40 billion of your money will slosh into the coffers of the AG. That’s a lot of cash. Substantially more than the entire 2020 budget for the US Department of Justice ($29.9B). What happens to all that money? Does it remain in an insurance portfolio…managed by whom? Or does that money get lost in a slush fund?
Currently, every state in the union is experiencing an alarming surge in gun homicide, mostly because of gang and drug-related shootings aggravated by the pandemic lockdowns. Is anyone naive enough to think that any criminal will subject themselves to the provisions of this bill considering they’re not supposed to have guns to begin with? Tragically, HR127 will do nothing to protect anyone from violent crime or make our streets any safer.
Contact your congressperson today and let them know you oppose this bill! Click here to find their contact information.
How sad this is what’s happening to this great gift GOD gave us the United States of America. We kicked him out then stupidity & liberlism killed the rest. We were given a choice but we chose not to listen now we will pay the price! You cant fix or fight stupid. May god help us all!!!.
We sure as hell can fight stupid! That’s what the 2nd Amendment was designed for. To fight stupid, corrupt governments.
You can fight stupid: its called a revolution.
Absolutely un american
If anyone is interested in facts: first the bill like almost every gun control measure is unlikely to pass – the guns for everyone lobby is far to powerful.
Insurance: my car insurance costs about 5K a year so $800 doesn’t seem all that unreasonable. As to double coverage you could just cancel the un-needed home owner policy rider that includes guns. I suspect most consciousness gun owners already incur this cost.
As to costs: these are wild exaggerations. For example a state mandated 72 DUI course costs about $300.00. A Drug & Alcohol evaluation by a licensed evaluator costs about $150.00. Similar programs could be created to teach gun safety and insure some basic competence in use of a weapon. We have to pass driver’s tests and often take mandatory classes to drive a car so this is hardly unreasonable. Likewise the 40 billion going to the government is an absurd figure. Most of the costs would go to trainers and evaluators.
As to what passes for points in the rest of this screed: yes psychologists noted the deep problems exhibited by many mass shooters. The problem is they have no power to restrict gun ownership from even the most disturbed individuals. If disturbed people do not seek mental health help they will never even come to the attention of mental health professionals prior to obtaining a firearm. The prevalence of suicides by using firearms reflects how easy it is for disturbed people to obtain a weapon. Both these points actually undercut the criticism of this bill.
The many drug & gang related killings by firearms reflect how easy it is for gangs to obtain weapons and why its virtually impossible under current law from preventing them from obtaining them or confiscating them from them.
I doubt the bill would have much effect on most gun owners who are mentally stable and can easily pass any gun safety course. It would have a major impact on those unable to meet this criteria.
Shall. Not. Be. Infringed.
You forget executive orders and rammed through bills via corrupt bribes for votes, the gradual erosion through propaganda of an ignorant, emotionally driven public leading to passage, but most of all, you are endorsing authoritarian government destruction of the inherent, inalienable right to self defense.
You are lacking basic common sense if you think the criminal element responsible for the majority of crime will ever adhere to these draconian ensures, meant to disarm thier victims.
Absolutely – our United States Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights are written for the government of what they CAN NOT do and the Constitution protects those rights. The 1st and 2nd Amendment are to allow citizens to protect individual freedom. It is the citizens responsibility to own a Firearm to protect the inalienable rights against an ever encroaching tyrannical government. No government entity or branch of such government has no authority to dictate or legislate removal of these rights.