If there is one thing I've learned going through the gun permit circus here in NJ, is that after you jump through all the hoops, you actually run the chance of getting arrested for exercising your constitutional rights, then the average criminal has for breaking any law.
I don't know if that makes any sense. What I'm saying is that after submitting to an background investigation, finger printing, references check and waiting 30 days for all that to come back clear. Even after holding on to my permits for almost 90 days, just to find a proper hand gun, I still had to wait other 14 days for once again my background check to clear. They call this the "Cooling off" period. Just in case I'm angry at having to wait so long just to exercise my right. They don't want me buying a gun and go off on people. It's a "wtf" moment really.
ANYWAY.
I'm officially a proud 2A user...er...can that be said? Anyway, I got my firearm, my friends are happy I can now go shoot with them and not have to beg to rent a practice firearm. I'm getting ahead of myself. Once I received my firearm I was given the lecture of what I can and can't do with my firearm in NJ. Some of it was common sense stuff. "Don't leave it loaded where kids can get a hold of it", "Keep in unloaded while in the safe" and some stuff that made me raise an eyebrow. Maybe I heard it wrong but "A loaded magazine is considered a loaded gun" doesn't see right to me.
A loaded magazine is a loaded magazine, once I put it in my firearm, then its a loaded firearm. But apparently I can't have a loaded magazine on me cause that's a loaded gun. Maybe I'm just hearing it wrong.
I have to store the gun in the trunk of the car, bullets need to be in the front. Otherwise I can get arrested. Or so they say. Who knows, NJ Gun laws are so freaking vague. I have to drive straight home from the gun range, or gun shop when I have my gun with me or else I get arrested if a cop finds out I deviated from my direct line of travel. How the hell would they know? Am I under surveillance now? What if I need gas? Or I haven't eaten and want to pick up something in the drive-thru?
Hell, why can't I just have my firearm on me in the first place? After all, isn't that the point of having a firearm? Self Defense?
Not that I care much, I do hold a belt in a few martial arts, but still...seems counter intuitive to have a weapon, but be forced never to use it while criminals have no such hangups about shooting me if they wanted too.
Still. I'm learning. NJ really isn't a constitution friendly state, at least not for the 2nd Amendment. Yet even with all these strict gun laws, we still have high gun crimes. Newark NJ was the "Duck down" city for me. At least that's what my friends who lived there tell me. So much for gun laws I say. All we are a victims in waiting.
So that's my rant. It's a bit unorganized I'm sure. All I can say is people, support your constitution, even if you don't agree with guns, that's the least of it. Just read the laws they create and ask, "How does that work to stop criminals from having firearms" and "How does it effect lawful citizens from exercising their rights".
If there is one thing you'll notice is that they do nothing to curb violence, but do create criminals out of otherwise lawful citizens.
Think about it. Here in NJ, you'll stand a bigger chance of getting arrested for exercising your constitutional rights, then a criminal has actually breaking the law!
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