There is far more at stake here than many realize. I have been a supporter of the Second Amendment not only because of my ownership of guns, but also because of the light that this issue sheds on the mindset of our opponents.
The authors of these bills, Hausman, Hornstein and the rest dislike guns, but they dislike something else even more. They have a visceral hatred for the lifestyle they represent. Obama gave us a glimpse into their world with his "guns and God" quote. Gun owners represent to them not so much physical danger but rather political danger. They see most gun people as productive citizens, taking very little in the way of government help. Independent by nature and skeptical of government intervention, these people are not easily convinced when they are told by "experts" what is good for them. They aren't as easily bullied into submission as the general population. Why else would they focus on guns and not the misuse of guns?
The authors of these bills are a far cry from the Democrats of my youth. Hubert Humphrey was a supporter of gun rights. The lifestyle tolerant leftists show their intolerance. Read the bills. What hatred they have. Turn in your weapon for destruction. If we let you keep it, we'll come into your home once a year and make sure you've got it safely tucked away. Only a mind full of hate could promote a society that treats honest citizens worse than crack dealers. Think about it. What assurance do you have that in another state of left wing hysteria you'll be allowed to keep you're land, your home, your 401k. It's shocking to me, that in my home state, any elected official would publicly endorse such a thing and not be castigated by their party. Giving HF241a hearing is a slap in the face to everyone in this state. If you believe, as I do, that in this form the bill will never be enacted into law and are comfortable with that: wake up. Pandora's Box has been opened and those that did the opening will in all likelihood suffer no punishment. It'll be hell trying to close the box again.
This is a another battle in an ongoing war, but it has to be won and not just by gun owners. It is not isolated in it's scope. Everyone that believes strongly in our Constitution and way of life has a dog in this hunt.