US-NY Trying To Ban Body Armor

[grarpamp]

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-crimes-from-seeking-punitive-damages-in-lawsuits/
https://thefreethoughtproject.com/supreme-court-repeatedly-affirmed-cops-no-duty-protect-citizens-parkland-proves/
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.