imported post
Washintonian_For_Liberty wrote:
Do not for a second think this means they'll stop trying to take our rights away... they'll just change the names and call their new legislation the "Clean River and Water Table Act of 2010" and in it will have a 500% tax on ammo to "provide for cleaning up the lead and other toxins left in the ground by bullets". They'll likely hide it far more craftily and call it something like the "Child Safety and Equality Act" with a clause on page 563 stating "No firearm may be present in a home or business if there is any child in the home receiving or have ever received State funded medical treatment, or if the child breathes".
These people are crafty and they create legislation that isn't what the title says it is... like the "Employee Free Choice Act".
I never said the fight was over.
I never said they would never stop trying.
I never said we should cease our efforts due to their withdrawal at the moment.
I am merely enjoying the current victories and am pointing out that when we make a stand, stuff happens.
Extreme taxes on ammunition is nothing new. If my memory serves correct there are several states with high taxes on ammo....
The strange thing is, no one has taken this stuff to court.
Congress is indeed given the power to tax, and there is no limit on what taxes Congress may impose.
However, one cannot have conflicting laws.
The Supreme Court ruled that it is an individual right to keep and bear arms. Thereby also forbidding the Federal government from banning common classes of firearms.
This means that law abiding individuals have the right to own a firearm and Federal law may not in any way forbid or inhibit the right of any lawful citizen to own a weapon (carrying is another story).
Therein, specific and targeted taxes that raise the price of firearms or ammunition so high that the average citizen no longer has access to them due to prohibitive costs should also be forbidden.
Any tax that is sufficiently excessive as to inhibit a right clearly spelled out in the constitution would be unconstitutional on it's face.
Congress is not given the power to tax to remove or restrict the rights of others.
I'm sure this has yet to be tested in court.