Maggie's Farm

Judge Napolitano begins:

The right of the people to keep and bear arms is an extension of the natural right to self-defense and a hallmark of personal sovereignty.

His focus on natural rights is the main issue. In my big-picture view, American citizens do not have delimited rights, but government does have delimited powers over the citizen. Neither the "common good" nor the "greater good," however construed, are citizens of the US.

In non-American history, the masses and peasants were forbidden ownership of arms (back when the penetrating weapon of choice was the sword). America was, and remains, different, revolutionary.

Governments are always uncomfortable with an armed populace. Canada, which just gave up on its program of national firearm registration, should not have been surprised to discover that a giant and costly registry of honest gun owners was of no use at all.

Powerline: On Guns, Like Other Issues, Liberals Are Out of Ammo

Q&O: Should we ban “assault” hammers?

And what about high-capacity Nail Guns? Nail guns are dangerous and scary.