Proposed Bill Bans Body Armor, Makes Possession a Crime, Forces Citizens to Turn it In or Face Arrest https://thefreethoughtproject.com/state-supreme-court-bars-victims-of-police... https://thefreethoughtproject.com/supreme-court-repeatedly-affirmed-cops-no-... https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/A352 Lawmakers in New York have proposed one of the most tyrannical and utterly worrisome pieces of legislation we’ve seen. They want to ban citizens from having body armor to protect themselves from bullets. As no one has ever beaten anyone to death with a bullet proof vest, the intentions behind this bill are clear and have no other purpose other than making it easier for government to kill citizens and harder for citizens to protect themselves from bullets. New York, who has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, now wants to make it a misdemeanor and potential felony for people to purchase or possess a passive means of resistance to bullets. Unlike other attempts to ban body armor like we’ve seen in the past, this bill does not grandfather people in who already own it. In fact, the bill says that it must be turned over to the state for disposal, or you are guilty. After the passage of the bill, citizens will have 15 days to turn it in before they are declared criminals. Assembly Bill A352 was introduced and cosponsored by David McDonough, Richard Gottfried, and Michael Montesano. It reads as follows (emphasis added.) § 270.21 Unlawful purchase or possession of a body vest. A person is guilty of the unlawful purchase or possession of a body vest when he or she knowingly and unlawfully purchases or possesses a body vest, as such term is defined in subdivision two of section 270.20 of this article. This section shall not apply to active law enforcement officers or those whose occupations require the use of body vests as determined by the department of state. Unlawful purchase or possession of a body vest is a class A misdemeanor for a first offense and a class E felony for any subsequent offense. § 2. Any person currently in possession of a body vest, as such term is defined in subdivision two of section 270.20 of the penal law, shall have 15 days from the effective date of this act to dispose of such body vest at any local or state law enforcement agency. On the government’s website, they allow comments from citizens. Naturally, this piece of legislation is not being well received. One person pointed out the obvious, saying, “The only legitimate reason for this bill is to make it easier for the State to murder the disarmed subjects of New York.” “I cannot believe that such a bill would even be introduced in our state. The government here wants to control every aspect of our lives, even such a purely defensive item. Shame on our lawmakers for even considering such a bill,” another commenter wrote. “This is a vile and wicked bill! Body armor is the most passive form of self protection possible that a person can use and you want to take that away from law-abiding citizens?! You should be disgusted with yourselves for ever proposing such a thing!” another person pointed out. We agree with all of them. The reality is America has less major crime than at any point in the last 40 years, and yet we have cops patrolling American streets as if they are in the Korengal or Fallujah, and treating the citizens as such, with absolutely no regard for the Constitution. Perhaps if these lawmakers put as much effort into disarming the overly militarized police, as attempting to take away law abiding citizens’ ability to defend themselves from would-be shooters, people wouldn’t have the impetus to wear body armor. The armor is purely defensive in nature, and people should always have the ability and right to defend themselves against attack. The right to self-defense is the right from which all other rights are derived. As John Locke stated, self-defense is the first law of nature. Each person owns his or her own life and no other person has a right to take that life, or hinder the preservation thereof. Moreover, the Supreme Court has held that the police have no duty to protect citizens, so that responsibility now falls squarely on the shoulders of individuals themselves. To take away people’s ability to access defensive armor, after telling them that they are on their own and are owed no protection by law enforcement, almost seems like a cruel joke. Why should a law-abiding American, that takes steps to defend themselves passively, be criminalized? Where is the sense in government banning something that provides people protection from harm? The logic of this bill is so askew that it wouldn’t be surprising if perhaps next they will try and pass a bill that outlaws hiding behind things while being shot at. When the state attempts to make it illegal to protect yourself from bullets, it may be time to start purchasing gear to protect yourself from bullets.