> Sure, because mandatory registration isn't primarily for the benefit of > the gun owner, but the society as a whole. This is also the argument for > why background checks should be funded by the government. The society is > the beneficiary of background checks, not the person buying the gun.
I thought of that, too, but then I thought of two other things: (a) marriage license fees, and even parade permit fees, are not so much for the benefit of the recipient as they are simply meant to offset the cost of the government facilitating you in the exercise of your rights, and (b) Gene has asked us to cite authority for any assertions we make. Mostly in consideration of (b) I didn't post my thoughts, but since Clayton has raised this issue, do any of the law professors on the list know if there's any controlling precedent for arguments about when fees for exercising rights can be charged?
