TrackingPoint’s chairman John McHale applied for a patent (#20140182179) which describes an invention that can disable the trigger of guns, such as TrackingPoint’s smart rifles, if they are within school zones (1,000 ft. of a school), on the grounds of a federal facility or on the grounds of private business that bans private firearms. The patent was filed on December 31, 2012.(H/T: Says Uncle)
Yes, I'm stealing from other blogs.
But I think it deserved an "expansion commentary".
(Not that the consequences are not already obvious.)
A few months ago there was a furor about the New Jersey law (established some time ago) that when a single firearm was offered on the market which featured "owner identification technology" (you know, like the RFID Ring, or whatever), then New Jersey would only allow THAT make/model of gun to be sold in the state.
That lead to some really UGLY things, and a lot of gun-folks came down HARD on the gun store which had announced that they intended to become a retailer for that firearm.
It didn't look good in The Press. The owner of the gun store found himself a target for his customers, who were outraged ... because he was establishing a precedent for Governmental infringement on the Second Amendment.
[There were 'side issues': (a) The law enabled The State to determine what make, model and caliber you could legally own;' (b) the firearm was only offered in .22 caliber, (c) nobody has yet determined that "owner identification technology", sometimes referred to a "New Age Technology", was 100% reliable. That is to say, maybe the OWNER couldn't find his ring, he didn't wear it all the time, or the RFID chip lost its mojo. Make up your own worst-scenarios.]
So ... yeah, gun owners are dubious about New Age Technology.
Now we're presented with another "New Thing".
This New Thing ... this "New Age Technology" ... allows a Third Person to arbitrarily define where and when a firearm may be discharged.
It doesn't do it by enforcement of existing laws, it doesn't do it by anything which might have been considered an "infringement" on the Second Amendment in the view of the Founding Fathers.
It does it by fiat. Unilaterally. One-sided. Some Other Dude Done It technology.
Remember that General Motors ONSTAR "option" ('compatible with 4G LTE')? Yes, you have to pay for it. It can stop your car while you are driving down the freeway. Isn't that a comfort? Never mind the 'help in an emergency' and the other stuff ... the 'stop your car' thingie is built in, and you do not have an "Opt Out" option. You don't have to be the one who orders it; they can do it without your help.
Oh, and if a governmental agency decides that's a good idea? They'll do it for them. Not for you ... for them. The guy with a badge number gets to decide if you can drive your car.
If this new "New Age Technology" for guns becomes accepted, they can do that for your firearms, as well.
The invention uses a GPS or mobile phone towers to determine location, sensors to determine orientation and a mobile/radio network connection to download a list of “gun free” locations from a central database. McHale suggests that a “Gun Free Zone” database could be maintained by the BATFE.The "PAG" (People Afraid of Guns) [I just invented the moniker] will doubtless laud the technological advance as a way to ensure 'Public Safety',
We'll accept that when the same restrictions are also applied to other threats to public safety, such as knives, hammers, and meat cleavers. And baseball bats (warning; graphic footage!)
And midgets. (warning; stupid)
2 comments:
you have to buy the gun before they can control it.
You have to buy a gun with a smart trigger assembly. All my guns have dumb trigger assemblies. They ignore GPS and signals from black satellites.
Antipoda
Post a Comment