As we discussed a few weeks ago, the Biden (and Obama)-era Democrat push for gun control had, to be excessively charitable, at least as much to do with social control as dealing with mass shootings, much less crime.
But while Biden is gone, the urge toward authoritarian control just keeps on ticking - in Blue states, anyway. Hawaii and Michigan both just launched snitch lines for people to report on gun owners.
First, Michigan, where Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an education bill into law. The law includes fundingf for an anonymous 'tip line" on which students can call in to report on their parents for violating the state's "safe storage" law:
Here is the House Fiscal Agency summary of the school aid supplemental that is expected to come up for a vote today:
— Simon D. Schuster (@Simon_Schuster) September 25, 2024
$125M for mental health
$1M for tip line for students to report improperly stored firearms pic.twitter.com/4ScT6Bgw2w
Michigan's "safe storage" law requires gun owners keep their firearms unloaded and either trigger-locked or in a locked container if a minor is likely to be around. The law does make an exception for firearms under "direct control" of the owner. It's the sort of thing the vast majority of gun owners with children do because it's common sense with no need for a law.
The bill allocates up to $1 million for 2024-2025 to create a tip line at an intermediate district, according to the legislation. It also funds the creation of “educational materials” with information on how to report improperly stored guns. (RELATED: ‘Blatantly Unconstitutional’: Second Amendment Advocates Blast DNC Platform As Gun Control Nightmare)
But let's focus on the snitch line. Michigan appears to be counting on people in the home to turn each other in. Children turning in parents? Angry estrangned spouses snitching on their soon-to-be-exes to get legal leverage? It's all on the table.
Report Your Parents Hotline
— Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners (@MCRGO_Michigan) September 25, 2024
This amendment was inserted into the conference committee report of the Michigan School Aid bill (HB 5503 CR-1) today. The conference committee report is expected to be voted on immediately in the House and Senate with no testimony allowed.
This… pic.twitter.com/qj7rF4nf3z
In addition to being a little diabolical, it tramples civil liberty, pushing the state into what was once called "the sanctity of the home".
Some Michigan Republicans realize this:
“This hotline is nothing more than a page out of the Stasi playbook – encouraging children to spy on their own families,” Republican State Rep. Angele Rigas told The Midwesterner.
In the meantime, on the surface Hawaii seems to be taking a broader approach, at least pretending to be concerned with actual crime. But a snitch line is a snitch line:
“The Gun Tip Line offers another way the public can assist law enforcement in protecting our neighborhoods,” said DLE Director Jordan Lowe. “Guns that have been stolen, guns that haven’t been registered and guns in the wrong hands are often used to commit crimes. The consequences can be tragic. So, if you see something, send something to the Gun Tip Line and help us make Hawai‘i safer.”
Callers are encouraged to provide "detailed information including the names of those in possession of illegal guns or committing gun crimes, a location where those people may be found and a description of the guns", presumably the better to rubber-stamp a search warrant with.
It's been my theory for almost 20 years than whenever Democrats impugn Republicans' respect for things like civil liberty - for example, by calloing us "fascists" - it's to deflect away from their own offenses against freedom.
This is evidence for the case.
