MAJOR EDIT -
Looks like this is already under discussion in the Semi Auto Rifle forum.
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=496740
PLEASE CLOSE! Sorry for the inconvenience.
Leaving the text for the curious, but nothing to see here. Move along.
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Forbes article needlessly frets about gun control being made irrelevant
There are still plenty of people in this country that remember the days before the government was busily trying to regulate everything. Somehow we survived as a society. I'm not going to claim all laws are bad or some safety regulation that has been passed haven't saved lives. However, I think this article raises an interesting question.
Laws are only followed by the law abiding. The very end of the article is truer then the author realizes. If the technology to simply "print" an object because so commonplace that anyone can do it, it will be impossible to stop anyone from making whatever they want, including guns. At that point, any law passed will only be followed by those who believe the law has meaning.
3D printing has an impact well beyond gun control, but that would be entirely irrelevant for the purpose of this forum. If you can "print" an AR receiver, the various parts that need to go in it won't be too far behind. As the technology becomes advanced enough, even small and completely functional handguns will be feasible. With the right know how, it may even be possible to print a handgun that is fully functional.
Criminals will typically not have this technology nor have the technical know how to be able to utilize it for some time after it becomes cheaper and more common. Even then, the laws that are inevitably coming will only limit those that bother to enforce them.
I wonder at what point does the government finally realize they cannot simply regulate the behavior they wish our society to have?
Looks like this is already under discussion in the Semi Auto Rifle forum.
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=496740
PLEASE CLOSE! Sorry for the inconvenience.
Leaving the text for the curious, but nothing to see here. Move along.
---------------------------------------------------------
Forbes article needlessly frets about gun control being made irrelevant
There are still plenty of people in this country that remember the days before the government was busily trying to regulate everything. Somehow we survived as a society. I'm not going to claim all laws are bad or some safety regulation that has been passed haven't saved lives. However, I think this article raises an interesting question.
Laws are only followed by the law abiding. The very end of the article is truer then the author realizes. If the technology to simply "print" an object because so commonplace that anyone can do it, it will be impossible to stop anyone from making whatever they want, including guns. At that point, any law passed will only be followed by those who believe the law has meaning.
3D printing has an impact well beyond gun control, but that would be entirely irrelevant for the purpose of this forum. If you can "print" an AR receiver, the various parts that need to go in it won't be too far behind. As the technology becomes advanced enough, even small and completely functional handguns will be feasible. With the right know how, it may even be possible to print a handgun that is fully functional.
Criminals will typically not have this technology nor have the technical know how to be able to utilize it for some time after it becomes cheaper and more common. Even then, the laws that are inevitably coming will only limit those that bother to enforce them.
I wonder at what point does the government finally realize they cannot simply regulate the behavior they wish our society to have?
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