GENERATION Q-LESS S.A.F.E.

In a political move NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo rushed through sweeping gun control legislation yesterday. I say "political" because of its timing (so close to to the Newtown massacre) and it's bypassing of usual due process and lack of public comment. On the Federal level President Obama is poised and ready to do the same by executive order later today. Like the gutted Brady Bill before, these moves are reactionary, rushed through in the heat of the moment and most likely will be overturned, once the dust settles. NY always has had tough gun laws. Now it has the toughest, outside of California. So, how does this effect the man (or woman) in the woods?
   With some google digging one can actually read the SAFE (Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act). The first point is the change in magazine capacity from 10 bullets to 7. Of course this will surprise most of us who thought those crazy 30 shot clips were at issue. Oh no. Those clips were already illegal. 10 to 7? I'll have to check, but I think my 9mm. holds 10. It's standard issue with most semi-auto pistols. Will this save lives? I sort of doubt it. It will help sell 7 shot clips. Next is the ammo issue. As I read the law you will now be asked to fill out more forms and be forced to wait in more lines when it comes to purchasing your shotgun shells. The slack-jawed dimwit, manning the sporting goods counter at Walmart, will now be asked to shoulder more responsibility in order to keep the public safe (between coffee breaks). Penalties for breaking gun laws will be tougher, gun shows will be more strictly regulated and and semi-auto rifles with "military options" like bayonet rings, and detachable magazines will be outlawed. Once again I think I got a couple of old clunkers laying around with bayonet rigs. I'm getting more illegal by the minute. Lastly, you now have to renew your pistol permit every five years- instead of "good until revoked". Now they are hitting close to home. More paper work and fees. I'm not feeling any safer.
  
   Yesterday my hunting buddy photog. George Holz sent me a link @SLATE on "Hipster Hunting".  It chronicled some sock hat wearing gentlemen, fresh out of Brooklyn, who had decided to take to the suburban woodlots with their 20 gauges and kill dinner- of course complete with manifesto and post-modernist reasoning. The whole tone of the article was how the "hip" had now discovered hunting and that it was now OK amongst Generation Q-less to grab a gun and hit the woods. There was a time that George and I would be the only ones at the party who knew a turkey call wasn't a sale on Butterballs at the local C Town. Looks like those days are behind us.
   A new generation of "City" hunters are gearing up for the two hour drive to my woods in an atmosphere verging on hysteria concerning guns. The laws are changing so fast that only the trooper, who has just pulled you over on Rt. 17, knows how many laws you have broken by having live shells rolling around on the floor boards and a gun or two in the backseat. Why can't the Gov. reform NY's draconian drug laws, legalize marijuana, lower my property taxes or ban fracking with such expediency? I'm all for gun control reform, but this kind of knee-jerk legislation does no one any good. There are so many nuts out there who already have guns (legal or illegal). Cuomo is just pissing them off. And as for my homies outta Willieburg- get rid of those sock hats and buy some blaze orange. And leave the bayonets at home. They are now illegal in New York State. I feel S.A.F.E.