I never said that it was the victims fault (especially this particular victim.) I was simply posing a question of what could happen.
Assume I have a clean record and can buy guns. Hell, assume I only have a clean record by sheer luck of not getting caught, and I have the in's to make a ton of cash by simply stockpiling guns legally (I am in NH) and making my gun safe "accesible".
Are you saying that I shouldn't be held accountable because my guns were simply "stolen"? Call me stupid if you wish, but I feel that the responsibility of gun ownership extends to keeping those guns within your possession, regardless of the circumstances. Does it suck that this guy had his life "turned upside down"? Of course. If I had half the shit in my house taken from me, I would be in a hard place too. But guns are not toys, tv's, cars, or whatever other items that had been used in an analogy. They are federally regulated weapons that can be used to kill.
In my opinion, if your vault is in a situation to be "cut through" as someone mentioned, then I wanna know where the alarm was on the house? Since this guy is well known within the community, this incident can be chalked up to bad luck for him, and just a shi**y situation overall. But the sketchy dude down the street with all the ar's that "go missing". I wanna know why those around me are careless enough with their weapons that they can be stolen.
This is all personal opinion here. I'm not advocating anyone be restricted of their right to keep and bear arms. I am well versed with the second amendment. But, in a situation where firearms are stolen, especially a mass quantity of them, I don't see an issue with temporarily restricting the victims ability to purchase more arms. Concealed carry (if applicable) and guns currently in the home should be unaffected if those guns are being stored safely (ie, in line with local and state regs.)
Sorry, but you have no idea what you are talking about here. You don't live in MA, don't have to put up with MA inane anti-gun laws and have no understanding of said laws.
MA gun STORAGE laws are NOT anti-theft laws, they specify that a simple trigger lock is adequate for storage. Thus, MGL makes it legal to leave ALL your guns with trigger locks on top of a bureau or leaning against the walls and leave your house. [I'll agree that it is unwise, but merely point out that it is 100% legal!]
MGL does not mandate any safes/vaults/alarm systems/anti-theft insurance. Might be nice to have all these, but if one is complying with the law they should NOT be penalized for doing so and becoming a victim of a crime (theft).
There was a recent update posted on NES wrt a bank vault theft that happened ~20 years ago on the North Shore. They made 3 trips to said bank over 2-3 days and emptied very many safe deposit boxes of money, jewelry, etc. Proves the point that NO vault is immune from burglary if the burglar has the knowledge and tools to do the job. By your analysis, the bank's charter to do business in MA should have been suspended/revoked.
There have been recorded instances of stolen cars being used to plow into pedestrians intentionally. I recall someone intentionally driving into a crowd of BU students in front of one of their dorms on Comm. Ave, Boston some years ago (don't recall if car was stolen). Should victims of stolen cars lose their DL permanently over the theft? BTW, cars are "federally regulated items" that definitely can and do kill . . . and much more frequently than guns!
In MA one needs that permit to merely OWN any guns/ammo/large-cap mags! Unlike NH where if the PD confiscates your permit, you can still go to Riley's/MFL and buy a new gun and ammo for same, you are totally screwed in Commiechusetts!
Chiefs that pull LTCs don't usually give them back. IFF you can convince a judge of the injustice, maybe after spending $10K or so in legal fees, you MIGHT get a ruling that the chief should re-issue your LTC . . . but even then there are documented instances where chiefs still refuse or restrict said permit to be just about useless. Under MGL they can declare anyone "unsuitable" or put any restriction they want on the LTC!
Yes, what you are advocating restrictions of VICTIMS rights to "keep and bear arms"!! Thus, making them the victim of two crimes! [For the record, I do NOT know the victim of this travesty.]
Sorry, but Massachusetts doesn't yank anything temporarily. They don't want you to have one at all.
A year ago the state was happy to suspend my LTC and green card over a gun charge that happened 25 years ago.
It didn't matter that I WAS NOT CONVICTED of the charge... my rights were suspended (to them) forever.
All in spite of the fact it was reported in every LTC application along with the judgment papers showing I was not convicted of anything.
For that oversight I had to pay two thousand dollars to an attorney so he could give them THE SAME information they had.
After leaving me in limbo for two months they "decided" to give me my licenses back.
They also made me pay another hundred dollars for the application because the first one was denied as a result of their negligence.
I will never trust this state's judgment on gun matters.
Having guns stolen out of a safe is not a crime (for the owner of the safe) and the thief is the only one who should pay any penalty.
Having guns stolen out of a locked gun safe and then taking away the safe owner's right to own a gun is a clear case of infringement.
The above is very well said!