Seen at Rusty’s:

a Vermont state legislator recently introduced a bill requiring all unarmed Vermont citizens to pay $500 for the privilege of not owning a gun.

…

Under the bill, adults who choose not to own a weapon would be required to register their name, address, Social Security number, and driver’s license number with the state. Those of military age, with the exception of police and members of the armed forces, would be required to pay the $500 fine.

At first, I thought this can’t be serious until I read the VT constitution:

That every member of society hath a right to be protected in the enjoyment of life, liberty, and property, and therefore is bound to contribute the member’s proportion towards the expense of that protection, and yield personal service, when necessary, or an equivalent thereto, but no part of any person’s property can be justly taken, or applied to public uses, without the person’s own consent, or that of the Representative Body, nor can any person who is conscientiously scrupulous of bearing arms, be justly compelled thereto, if such person will pay such equivalent; nor are the people bound by any law but such as they have in like manner assented to, for their common good: and previous to any law being made to raise a tax, the purpose for which it is to be raised ought to appear evident to the Legislature to be of more service to community than the money would be if not collected.

Update: Seems it’s an old item from years ago. Still, pretty funny.

Posted in uncategorized on November 3rd, 2009 by SayUncle | RSS 2.0 |