LaMalfa says no to new gun ban proposals

As emotional calls for gun bans continue to swirl around Washington, D.C., the north state's congressman has signaled he will not support restrictions on firearms ownership proposed by President Obama:

From his recent statement:

“Restricting access to firearms and the rights of law abiding citizens will not change the tragedies of the past or prevent them in the future.”

“I was sent to Washington not to strip rights away from the American people, but to defend our basic freedoms and ensure that our government follows the Constitution. I am very concerned that the President’s use of executive orders is not only legally questionable, but contrary to the principles of representative government which our nation was founded upon.”

“Furthermore, this type of ban always fails to achieve any real result,” concluded LaMalfa. “A simple look at Oakland and Chicago, which have some of the strictest gun laws in the country, proves that these laws don’t work. More laws and gun bans will not stop those with a wicked heart, criminal designs or serious mental illness.”

Flashy agenda-driven newspaper headlines aside, it's wise to temper any expectations of a gun-free society by remembering these things: 1) Americans are purchasing guns and joining the NRA at a record rate; 2) most understand the founders' reason for including the Second Amendment in the Constitution was to protect them against tyranny; 3) LaMalfa is part of a House majority that isn't likely to act on the proposed legislation; and 4) most gun owners have said they would not comply with bans that might be imposed by Congress or the president.