Obama on the Spike in Gun Sales

According to the Chicago Sun-Times:

As gun sales shoot up around the country, President-elect Barack Obama said Sunday that gun-owning Americans do not need to rush out and stock up before he is sworn in next month.

"I believe in common-sense gun safety laws, and I believe in the second amendment," Obama said at a news conference. "Lawful gun owners have nothing to fear. I said that throughout the campaign. I haven't indicated anything different during the transition. I think people can take me at my word."

Of course, during the campaign, Mr. Obama never said what he considers "common sense gun regulation." I doubt that he and I would agree, or even come close. Common sense gun regulation does not include banning all handguns and requiring safety locks on guns at all times (as the District of Columbia required). That was a "common sense" regulation that Mr. Obama supported before he opposed it. (Pre-Heller versus post-Heller.) That was common nonsense regulation that Attorney General nominee Eric Holder supported in a written brief in the Heller case.

Common sense regulation is not the banning of firearms less powerful than fully automatic assault rifles. (Gun banners have improperly labeled semi-automatic rifles to be assault files -- they aren't. With a fully automatic gun, the gun keeps firing as long as the trigger remains pulled. With a semi-automatic, the trigger must be pulled again for each round fired.)

In my view, common sense regulation is the Castle doctrine by which homeowners are privileged to use deadly force against home invaders. Even better common sense gun regulation can be found in Kennesaw, Georgia.