At 20:27 14-6-01 -0400, Patrick Sweeney wrote:
><<You just agreed with me, you're restricting the rights
>of law abiding citizens. There are punishments for
>violating the law here already, lots and lots. >>
>
>But if it's against the law in the Netherlands to own a gun illegally, and
>you break the law, you aren't law-abiding anymore.
Nitpick: illegal ownership of a gun is by definition against the law --
that's why it's called "illegal".
>and b) Do you know if the Dutch constitution includes such a right? If
>Jeroen doesn't have a right to own a gun in his country, laws restricting
>gun ownership aren't infringing on _his_ rights.
Under Dutch law, citizens can legally own a gun, but only when certain
criteria are met. We do not, however, have a law that says "every citizen
of The Netherlands has the right to own and carry fire arms (either openly
or concealed)".
BTW, carrying a concealed weapon is illegal anyway, even if you have a gun
permit. Openly carrying a gun is only allowed when you're at your gun club,
and even then there are strict safety regulations. When travelling to and
from the gun club (mandatory route: always the shortest possible route from
home to the club and back), the weapon may not be carried, but must be
stored in the trunk of your car.
Jeroen
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