THURSDAY. JULY 13. 1961
summer sportsman
Last week I began an evaluation of the general trend of
legislative proposals regarding the extension of firearms laws
and firearms registration. I briefly outlined the principal argu
ments presented by proponents of such legislation.
This week I'd like to present the other side of the picture.
That is, outline the undesirable characteristics of laws which
would further restrict the use of firearms.
The first and most obvious argument against firearms regu
lation is found in our Federal Constitution (and, incidentally, in
about three-fourths of our state constitutions).
The Second Amendment says, "A well regu
lated Militia being necessary to the security of
the State, the right of the people to keep and
bear arms shall not be infringed "
However, despite the seeming clarity of the
constitutional language, federal and state jurists
have justified and held constitutional numer
abie firearms regulations on the arguments of
the courts concerning police power. Consider
ing "police Tower," the courts define what is
termed reasonable limitations on the rights of Macalady
the individual in the interest of proper admini•-tration of crimi
nal justice,
The arguments are entirely academic, however. The only
important fact is that constitutional amendments have failed to
prevent firearms regulations on both a state and national level.
Secondly, firearms registration laws make it more difficult
for honest people to obtain firearms for recreational purposes,
and do not considerably increase the difficulties found by a
criminal in obtaining a weapon. That is. most of the weapons
used by criminals are stolen.
By the same token, the laws do not considerably aid in the
apprehension of criminals. If registered to an honest citizen, a
stolen weapon wnich has been used to commit a felony can only
cause needless investigation and a humiliation to the gun's right
ful owner.
Thirdly, the whole essence and the inevitable result of gun
regulations and firearms registration is this: to allow police to
say who may own a firearm. This is a vital point. Besides the
seemingly obvious right of an honest person to use a weapon
to protect what _is his own, there are other serious considerations
here.
For example, Homer Cummings, when he was Attorney
General of the United States, made a speech before the 1937
convention of the International Association of Chiefs of Police
in Baltimore. In this speech, he, in proposing the extension of
registration laws to all firearms, cited as examples Germany,
Spain, France, England, Belgium and Italy where complete fire
arms registration had been successful.
That was in 1937. Now, move ahead three years and con
sider his examples. Germany—Hitler uses firearms registration
laws to disarm all who oppose him; Italy—Mussolini rules a dic
tatorship obtained viiith the help of firearms laws.
Spain—Fascism and Communism together attempt to set up
their own particular brand of dictatorship; and in France and
Belgium—a people, disarmed by their police who have., for the
Germans, a convenient list of all who own a firearm), fall to the
invading Nazis. Yes, all had registration laws for firearms.
England, too, whose Firearms Act was often mentioned as
a desirable model for America, in 1940 found herself dangerously
low in the quantity of firearms in the hands of her people. The
act had decreased the number of firearms to a negligible amount.
Such a law discouraged the ownership of firearms by repu
table citizens by imposing inconveniences, excess taxes, and con
tacts which the average person sought to avoid. A true calamity—
from a "model" firearm. act. "Lawless" America had to quickly
supply rifles, pistols and shotguns to bolster the Home Guard
and arm .her people
Finally, I might repeat that an increase in firearms control
could be the vesting of an arbitrary power of police to say who
may and who may not own a firearm. It is interesting to note
that every modern dictatorship which has been imposed upon
a free people, has had as a part of it the requirement that citi
zens register their privately owned firearms.
It's easy to think that this can't happen to the United States.
But, it can.
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A HABERDASHERY
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The Firearm
Issue Part II
By Don Macalady
SUMMER COLLEGIAN. STATE COLLEGE, PENNSYLVANIA
16 Basketball Teams Compete
By next week sixteen
basketball teams will have
battled for victory during the
opening games of the "Sum
mer League."
Two leagues have been organ
ized for the summer term and are
scheduled fo hold individual team
play-offs during the week of
August 14th.
Bob Harrison, coordinator of
"summer basketball," said that
much interest has been shown.
Individual high scorers in the
first games were Bob Rutherford
of the Celts end Don Appleman of
the Travelers. Each scored 20
points.
In Nlncylay games at Rec Hall team wins
.vn•l la9Sea were:
Won Loot
Travider3 0
Heal Lions
Celts
...___
Farmers
Cellar Chests
Hathakellvra
Krll,ol
Pi,k-LT )14 0
In Tuesday trams at Her Hall team win;
and iosNes Were:
Won Lost
Losers 1 0
, Warriors
A n-E-ma Is 0
net's
_n 0
Psatidos .
Saga
_0
Comets 0 1
Cha rltels 0 1
Came scares for this week were
League A
C Its over Krusers 61-37, Red Lions
over Pick-Cps 60-3 S. Travelers over Rath
skeller, 69-46.
An-E-mals won by forfeit, Warriors de
frnte•d Cliantels 38-31, and Losers defeated
Comet! 37.36.
The League A richedule for coming
games
George A. Borosque, Jr
League A
League II
League B
ft's not too late to hop on the right
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103 East Beaver Avenue
ADams 8-9421
PROVIDENT MUTUAL
Life Insurance Company
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All games to be played at Ree Hall. t Sags - Reim
Monday, July 17 Time Chuntels - Losers
Pict:-Ups - Cedar Chests ( :15 Tuesday„, July 25
It a tbskellers - F armers . 7:15 1 An-E-male - Pseudo;
Celts - Travelers • 8:15 1 Cornets - Rehm
Wednesday, July 19 [ Warriors . Loners
Red Lions - Cedar Chests 1 :15Thursday, July 27
Pick-lips - Rathskeller, 7:11 . An-F.-mats - Rehs
Krusers - Partners 8:151 Sags - Chant els
Monday. July 24 Pseudns - Losers
Celts - Cedar Chests 6 :15Tuesday, August I
Red Lions - Rs thskellers - 7:15 ; Comets - Chan tele
Travekrs - Farmers 8:15 1 Warriors - Sags
Wednesday, July 26 A n-E-rnals - Losers
Celts - Farmers :15 i Thursday, August 3
Cedar Chests - Rathskeller, 7:15 . Ilehs - Chnntela
li rusers - Pickups F:15 1 Pseudos - Sags
.
Monday, July 31 Comet , - Wlllllllll
'Travelers - Pick-Ups 6 :15 [Tuesday, August 8
Celts -It a th , kelters 7:15 1 A n-E-noals - Chantels
Red Lions - R rosers 8 :15 , Rebs - Ws rriors
Wednesday. August 2 I Losers - Sags
Farmers - Pick-Ups I:15' Thursday, August 10
Travelers. - Red Lions 7:1.1; l'seutios - ('onsets 1:15
Cellar Chests - lilll4Cro - S :11 (will probably he rescheduled for
Monday. August 7 I later &del
Celts - Pick-Ups
Farmers - Ited Lions 7:111
Rat heliellers - 1.:..1 users 8 : 15j Past Pitcher Turns Pro -
Wednesday. August 9 1 • Ed Kikla, lefthanded ace of the
Cedar Cheste - Travelers 6 'l5! T •
i will j„• „..,,hod„),„1
for
nr)i,,, d„ i,.) ,Laons baseball team for the past
The League B schedule fur coming il hr6e years has signed a major
;zanies is; 'league contract with the St, Louis
All {tallies to he played at Rev Ihll. 1 ,- . b, .
Thursday. July 13 Ti me Larainals.
Rehr - Pseudo:4 ii:ls' He is playing now with their
An-F.-mole - Warriors 7 " s Lancaster farm team in the Class
sag - C
Tuesday. i
Julyo la mets 8:15 1A Eastern League. As of Wednes-
A n-E•mal3 - Comets 11 :15 ! day night he a record of two
Chamois - e.,mi.i. 7 : ls ; wins against no losses. He was
Losers - Retie
Thursday, July 20 8:15 also used as a pinch hatter once
Warriors - Psewloi fi :15 ' and came through with a hit.
PAGE SEVEN