Members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives introduced a bill (HB 760) that would require annual registration of firearms. If passed, Pennsylvania gun owners would be required to:

• Register with the Pennsylvania State Police.
• Provide name, home and work address, date of birth, home and work phone numbers, age, sex, and citizenship status.
• Provide two photographs taken within 30 days immediately prior to the date of filing the application equivalent to passport size showing the full face, head and shoulders of the applicant in a clear and distinguishing manner.
• Provide the name of the manufacturer, the caliber or gauge, the model, type and serial number of each firearm to be registered.
• Provide fingerprints if deemed necessary by the State Police.
• Submit to a criminal background check.
• Wait 30 days for the application to be processed.
• Pay $10 for each firearm registered.

If passed, the law would further require that gun owners, "Keep any firearm in the registrant's possession unloaded and disassembled or bound by a trigger lock, gun safe or similar device unless the firearm is in the registrant's immediate possession and control while at the registrant's place of residence or business or while being used for lawful recreational purposes within this Commonwealth." It would also require that the State Police maintain a database of firearm applicants (both approved and denied). The database would include all of the information provided during the application process.

This is nothing more than harrassment of lawful firearm owners. Why should people who have lawfully purchased firearms be required to register with the State Police? Even sex offenders have to be convicted of a crime before being required to register with the police.

Obviously anyone likely to be denied during the registration process is not even going to bother to register. Criminals who get their guns on the black market or who steal guns from lawful owners, will still be able to do so.

H.B. 760 was introducted by Representatives Cruz, Youngblood, Parker, Wheatley, Bennington, and Curry. These Representatives and any others who vote in favor of the bill obviously hold gun owners in very low regard and feel they should be treated as criminals for merely owning firearms.

There are an estimated 20 million gun owners nationwide. If guns caused crime (a ridiculous notion) the crime rate in this country would be much, much higher than it is. It is worth repeating since some politicians just don't get it -- guns don't cause crime. Crimes are committed by people. The best way to prevent crime is through strict prison sentences for violent offenders and by protecting the right of the people to keep and bear arms without infringement.

Residents of Pennsylvania should contact their Representatives to oppose this insulting bill. Be sure to call the reps who introduced the bill and advise them of their grievous error in judgement. Pennsylvania residents should also call in to local talk radio shows, write letters to the editor of their local paper, and inform as many people as possible to do the same.

Jennifer Freeman is Executive Director and co-founder of Liberty Belles, a grass-roots organization dedicated to restoring and preserving the Second Amendment.
http://www.libertybelles.org
jennifer@libertybelles.org