Violent crime appears to be trending down in Michigan, which is a very good thing. Last year, for example, the city of Detroit saw the fewest number of homicides in 60 years, and non-fatal shootings were down by 25%.
Democrats in the Michigan legislature are proposing several new measures ostensibly aimed at making those numbers drop even more. The problem, though, is that what they’re proposing will have a much bigger impact on lawful gun owners than violent criminals.
One bill in the package would require owners of existing ghost guns to get them serialized within 18 months. Anyone who builds a firearm, unfinished frame, or receiver at home would have 10 days after finishing their project to get it serialized.
Bill sponsor state Rep. Morgan Foreman (D-Pittsfield Twp) said it’s a public safety issue more than it is a Second Amendment issue.
“No one needs an untraceable ghost gun. These weapons are designed to avoid detection, responsibility, and justice. These are tools for people who intend to do harm and get away with it,” Foreman said during a press conference Wednesday.
I know plenty of gun owners who’ve made their own firearms; not because they’re interested in committing crimes, but because they don’t believe the government needs to know that they’re exercising their Second Amendment rights. So I dispute the premise of Foreman’s argument, but even assuming that it’s true, why on earth would he think that someone who builds an unserialized firearm to use in an armed robbery, carjacking, home invasion, or cold-blooded murder is going to abide by a requirement to put serial numbers on it and register it with the state?
To make things even more ridiculous, a violation of Foreman’s proposed law would be a misdemeanor, at least for the first offense. That’s not going to have any impact whatsoever on the violent thugs and bad actors who Foreman believes are the only ones building unserialized firearms.
Representative Phil Green (R-Millington) chairs the Michigan legislative Second Amendment Caucus. Green said it’d be better to have tougher enforcement of existing laws.
“We’re dealing with situations where we’re outlawing basically possession of something and then if they do something wrong, now there’s three or more crimes that you’ve committed. How about we just deal with what you did wrong?” Green said.
That’s exactly right. Michigan doesn’t need to create any more criminal offenses carved out of our Second Amendment rights. If Foreman really wants to improve public safety he should work with his Republican counterparts to bolster funding for prosecutors and public defenders, reduce the number of plea bargains offered to violent offenders, and ensure that those convicted of violent crimes face serious consequences for their actions. Heck, maybe he and his colleagues could start a working group to investigate Detroit’s success in reducing violent crime, with an eye towards helping other communities across the state implement those same strategies.
The good news is that with Republicans in control of the House, Foreman’s bill isn’t likely to get much traction in the chamber. Still, Second Amendment advocates should still be in contact with their representatives and urge them to reject Foreman’s hare-brained scheme if it does come up for a vote.
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