Lautenberg vs Gun Rights

The Lautenberg Amendment to the Gun Control Act of 1968 became effective 30 September 1996. It violates Article 1, Section 9 of the US Constitution ("No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.") in that it retroactively punishes non-felons for relatively minor crimes committed prior to enactment of the Lautenberg bill. (This is one of countless examples of the profound lack of understanding of, and respect for, the US Constitution in Congress. Due to their gross ignorance and/or negligence, nearly every US Senator voted for this bill!)

The Lautenberg Amendment potentially affects any soldier, police officer or any other person who has been convicted of domestic violence by voiding their right to possess a firearm.

Obviously, no one defends the behavior of wife beaters and child abusers. But, the argument is about the punishment fitting the crime. If the penalty for a crime is a $50 and no jail time, permanent revocation of an enumerated Constitutional right is clearly excessive. If the crime is deserving of revocation of rights, it is deserving of a punishment of more than a year in prison. The gun rights of all non-felons must be restored by immediately repealing the Lautenberg Amendment. This is bad law!