Massachusetts Bill Would Implement “Most Egregious Gun Control” in U.S.

Members of the Massachusetts General Court are seeking to enact what would be the most restrictive and tyrannical gun-control law in the United States.

House Docket No. 4420 (H.D. 4420) is euphemistically titled “An Act modernizing firearm laws.” However, if enacted, it would severely and unconstitutionally restrict citizens’ God-given right to self-defense.

H.D. 4420 is 142 pages long, and it affects a wide range of various gun-control laws. For example, among multiple other provisions, the bill would:

• Ban nearly all semi-automatic firearms;
• Redefine the terms “firearm” and “assault weapons” to vastly expand their definitions to even include accessories and stun guns;
• Ban human silhouette targets at shooting ranges;
• Mandate all firearms — including privately-built firearms — and magazines to be registered with the state government, and require gun owners to notify the state of every minor modification made to the firearm or lost or destroyed magazines;
• Ban individuals under 21 from owning semi-automatic rifles or shotguns;
• Ban individuals under 18 from owning pepper spray;
• Severely restrict concealed carry to the extent that it’s effectively banned;
• Mandate draconian “safe storage” and training requirements for gun owners; and
• Ban individuals from searching “downloadable gun code” on the internet, a blatant violation of free speech.

Commenting on H.D. 4420, Mark Oliva, managing director of public affairs for the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), described the bill as “the most egregious gun control legislation that has been considered by any governing body in the United States.” Tom Cheffro, the owner of Boston Firearms in Everett, concurred, stating, “what the gun owners in this state need to know is that if this law passes, we are all in jeopardy of becoming criminals.”

Meanwhile the National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR) declared a travel warning, urging gun owners to avoid Massachusetts.

Despite H.D. 4420’s sweeping and unprecedented provisions, the bill sponsor, state Representative Michael Day, claimed that “we’re not trying to go after or criminalize proper license [holders], people who can responsibly carry a firearm.” Although the bill appears stalled in the General Court, House Speaker Ron Mariano expressed his support for H.D. 4420.

H.D. 4420 is a blatant assault on the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and if passed, it would directly infringe upon it in multiple ways. Additionally, its provisions — particularly its gun registry — would enable both the state and federal governments to more easily implement further gun-control measures, including confiscations.

Furthermore, H.D. 4420 only amounts to advancing the Left’s civilian-disarmament schemes. For an illustration of its ultimate goal, one only needs to look at Canada or Serbia, which are in the process of totally outlawing firearms.

The ability to defend oneself is a fundamental God-given right. Stripping individuals of this right would make them utterly dependent upon the government for their very lives and allow it to strip them of other rights without fear of reprisal.

Accordingly, if the Massachusetts General Court has any remaining respect for the U.S. Constitution and the principles of America’s founding, it must reject H.D. 4420 and any other bill that restricts the God-given right to self-defense.

Massachusetts residents can contact their legislators in opposition to H.D. 4420 by visiting The John Birch Society’s legislative alert here. Everyone can take action against gun-control measures by contacting their members of Congress here.