Felons, Parolees Getting Hunting Licenses

[zxcvbob]

I am not sure why, but for some reason I NEVER have ANY sympathy for ANYONE who has committed a crime. I am in my 40's and have managed to keep my nose clean, and I know people twice my age who have done the same.

You've probably committed dozens of felonies and didn't even know it. I've managed to keep my nose clean for years too -- that doesn't mean I won't get railroaded someday. "Tough on crime" is just the Republican party's favorite attack on our civil rights. (The Democrats use a more direct approach.)

Back to the "muzzleloaders in Illinois" question, it looks like one of those antique Mausers advertised in the back of gun magazines would be exempt. (actually, any firearm manufactured before 1898)

 

[mooseeyes]

Felony = felon = ex-con. And that and 50 cents gets you a bad cup of coffee! Felony classification is arbitrary; e.g., driving while under the influence causing an accident where property damage is over a specified amount or there is personal injury equals a felony in many States. . .even if it is a single car accident and the only person injured is the driver. Now we have the District Attorney who decides how to charge the person. Throw the book at them, and bingo. . .we now have a convicted felon.

Can't vote, can't own a gun, can't go into Canada! The person I speak of is a friend of mine who has been clean and sober for over 20 years. A good husband, a good father, a disabled veteran. Maybe the answer is a new system of classification for anti-social behavior?

Typically, a felony is any "crime" that may (not does) result in one year or more in prison, regardless of the "crime". Remember, a felony is anything that our elected lawmakers say is a crime. To use the ever popular Latin, there is "Malum in se" (evil in fact), and "Malum prohibitum" (bad only because we say it is bad). Malum in se crimes are pretty obvious. . .the really bad acts; i.e., murder, rape, robbery, etc. Now we look at Malum prohibitum crimes, which is anything else your elected officials say is a no-no, and for which these lawmakers feel 1 year in prison is a possible appropriate penalty - ergo, a felony!

Convicted felons lose certain non-crime related rights. Why not all rights? The right to drive, the right to have a job, the right to marry, and the right to pay taxes!

Think about it. How many times have you had to answer the question: "Have you ever been convicted of a felony?" Remember that pot bust while in college back in the '60s!

Then we have leadership like Bill Clinton who committed any number of felonies while in office; however, he was never charged nor convicted. Who says justice is blind?!

Plus, with the federal laws and the laws of each State and the District of Columbia we have 52 different and conflicting sets of laws. Often bragging about keeping one's nose clean is merely pure luck, not living in the wrong State, or not getting caught.

 

[CoRoMo]

I am not sure why, but for some reason I NEVER have ANY sympathy for ANYONE who has committed a crime. I am in my 40's and have managed to keep my nose clean, and I know people twice my age who have done the same.

Hopefully you and the ones you love will never find yourselves caught doing something you always thought was perfectly legal, just to find out it is a felony. Hopefully you and your loved ones never make a mistake or have an accident that is defined by the law as a felony.

Don't make a mistake on your taxes, don't posses a lobster of less than legal length, watch out for the turtles that the kids might bring home as pets, etc. and know every last, little state law from every state you ever plan to breathe air in. You just might find yourself inadvertently committing a felony. If you or a loved one gets caught doing so, maybe then, sympathy will well up inside you for what they are about to endure, for the remainder of their life.

 

[zxcvbob]

watch out for the turtles that the kids might bring home as pets, etc. and know every last, little state law from every state you ever plan to breathe air in.

And Heaven help you if they ever find an eagle feather.

 

[RP88]

I don't see the big deal. Most places allow bow hunting - and bows are not firearms last time I checked. If they aren't buying guns, then what exactly is wrong with the practice of issuing them hunting licenses other than what we feel about the law governing the part about hunting rifles and convicted felons?

 

[ChefKristian]

Hopefully you and the ones you love will never find yourselves caught doing something you always thought was perfectly legal, just to find out it is a felony. Hopefully you and your loved ones never make a mistake or have an accident that is defined by the law as a felony.

Don't make a mistake on your taxes, don't posses a lobster of less than legal length, watch out for the turtles that the kids might bring home as pets, etc. and know every last, little state law from every state you ever plan to breathe air in. You just might find yourself inadvertently committing a felony. If you or a loved one gets caught doing so, maybe then, sympathy will well up inside you for what they are about to endure, for the remainder of their life.

+1,000,000

People make mistakes in their life... People pay for their mistakes...Even if the severity and nature of the crime they have been convicted of is non-violent...They lose job opportunities, can't rent a house in a decent neighborhood...All of this occurs AFTER the debt to society has been paid.

Many of our LAWMAKERS have been guilty of one crime or another since the history of the United States of America... Lest we all forget that our founding fathers were criminals as well? Not murderers, rapists, or anything like that... but criminals none the less...

There is a terrible stigma with the use of the word Felony, and most people erroneously refer to felons as if they killed, raped, molested, kidnapped, robbed, assaulted, and maimed...

As for violent offenders (especially ones with weapon offenses) that have been released, I absolutely agree that certain rights should never be restored. Especially with repeat offenders...

 

[alsaqr]

For years the NRA has quietly pushed for the reinstatement of 2nd Amendment rights for convicted felons. I have been an NRA member for over 50 years and I totally disagree with the NRA on this one: Have repeatedly told them so. I have zero sympathy for convicted felons and that includes third offense drunk drivers. I know a guy who went to prison for 18 months for third offense drunk driving. He got out, drove a heavy truck drunk and killed a 10 year old girl. The guy had another felony conviction for fraud. He is now serving life as a habitual criminal.

Within three years of their release from prison over 65 percent of convicted felons will re-offend.

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0933722.html

Within three years of their release, 67% of former prisoners are rearrested and 52% are re-incarcerated,

This one is from Washington state where the recidivism rate is 61.5 percent.

http://www.sgc.wa.gov/PUBS/Recidivism/Adult_Recidivism_CY04.pdf

 

[cassandrasdaddy]

so if we have a million offenders you are comfy punishing 400000 of them because the other 600000 behave poorly? what a fascinating legal change

 

[rmodel65]

felons who have served their time and are out of prison have the RTKBA

“ A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. ”

 

[Chuck Warner]

EXACTLY!
I have been quietly nudging my state legislators in this direction for some time. I don't know if I'm making any real progress or not, but i agree w/ the above. Lock 'em up and throw away the key if they're dangerous. Otherwise, restore their civil rights when they come out.

New Mexico allows non violent felons to own or possess firearms legaly after ten years

 

[ChefKristian]

New Mexico allows non violent felons to own or possess firearms legaly after ten years

Texas as well... But I think it has to be after probation and not jail time. Not sure though.

 

[cassandrasdaddy]

virginia has a rights restoration process. if after release someone wants rights restored they have to do a minimal amout of work to make that happen. seems reasonable. if you aren't willing to work for something you usually don't appreciate it

 

[Gungnir]

Now here's something interesting that I saw on another thread...

First, they sent a letter saying that ALL 14 inch shoestrings were considered NFA items.

OMG does that mean that everyone who owned a 14 inch shoestring from 1996 was a felon? Say for instance at that time some local law enforcement officer had some probable cause for another offense (that turned a blank) and knew that and then arrested you and asked your shoestring length (and measured) you'd be guilty of illegal possession of an NFA controlled weapon without a tax stamp, and since it was an NFA controlled weapon probably a bunch of other stuff too (concealed carrying, etc. etc.). Here's a link http://www.jpfo.org/common-sense/cs55.htm.

Just goes to prove the law's an ass and you can break it without realizing it. So all the holier than thou's who are saying "I'm x and never committed a felony..." just think if you owned a pair of 14" shoe laces from 1996 you are guilty by law of owning an NFA controlled machinegun without registration. Now owning an NFA controlled machine gun is a felony and you can be imprisoned for 10 years, and obviously you can also lose your rights to vote, own firearms etc.

 

[glockman19]

Hasn't anyone heard of BOW hunting?

 

[SteveCase]

I find that its fine that they dont do background checks, if they can't own firearms then they cant hunt with them, but I don't see a problem with them owning bows, crossbows or what another person wrote an attalatal or whatever. Im from mass and ive never had to show and FID or anything else. all that was needed was hunter safety and drivers license. And just because you've commited a crime doesnt mean you shouldn't be allowed to hunt, there are plenty of other ways to hunt besides a gun.

 

[41magsnub]

I'm with the total non-issue folks. If they are doing something with the hunting license that does not violate the restrictions they are under good for them.

 

[ants]

I wonder why a four year old thread gets more attention now than when it was new.

Lucky that's not a felony. Just kidding, don't let Congress hear that.


Let's not forget that felony conviction is not the only transgression that leads to disability. There are at least 8 others. Drug use. Treason. Illegal alien. Terrorist. All these other people lose their right to keep and bear arms by committing their violations of the law.

 

[shotgunjoel]

Umm... bow hunting. I know of a guy from about 30 minutes from here who got a pardon a year ago from Bush so that he could own a gun to go hunting again. It was some white collar charge, but in Illinois it barred him from possession.

 

[Lou McGopher]

Altering a license plate (like putting a fake registration sticker on it) is a felony.
Improperly discarding something 500 lbs or more can get you a conviction for felony littering.

You can get felonies for doing all sorts of non-violent, and even harmless, things.

 

[DeepSouth]

Uhhh, last time I looked you could bow hunt or Blackpowder hunt without owning a "firearm".

Winner!!

 

[Art Eatman]

Enuf wandering and philosophising.