DanMargarita.com

Last week on Beacon Hill, the members of the House of Representatives approved a bill that would weaken current gun control legislation and would allow convicted felons to legally obtain and carry a gun in Massachusetts.

Yes, you read that correctly. I'll even repeat it for you. The members of the House voted overwhelmingly to allow convicted felons to carry guns.

I knew that the gun lobby was powerful, but I have to wonder if the convicted felon lobby made their presence known as well.

Did our legislators conclude that we're not getting enough guns into the hands of convicted felons? Was there a debate on the Hill about how we should be arming our citizenry?

I don't know what went on over there, but it's hard to believe that some lawmakers sat around and decided that what's wrong with society is that convicted felons aren't properly armed. Here's how I imagine the debate must've gone.

"Mr. Speaker, it is the duty of this body to take into consideration those who have to do without. We, and we alone have the power to correct a terrible injustice. Why, as I speak there are dozens, possibly hundreds of convicted felons roaming our streets unarmed. Until we can put guns in their hands, none of us can walk the streets safely."

The argument by backers of the bill is that the current law penalizes someone who committed an offense years ago, preventing them doing something like joining the police force.

"There are too many people who were convicted of a simple assault or battery" the Boston Globe quotes Timothy J. Toomey, a Cambridge Democrat and lead sponsor of the bill as saying (quite possibly with a large man named Bruno standing behind him). By all means, those are people that we need to give guns to.

Like the simple assault and battery that Inglewood, Ca. police officer Jeremy Morse was caught on videotape giving to 16-year old Donovan Jackson? Good thing we got him a job on the force.

No doubt there are miscarriages of justice and people who are a victim of circumstance, but lawmakers might want to take into consideration that the bulk of convicted felons, are people who have been found guilty of committing felonies. Just in case you're wondering, here's a list of some felonies:

1. Murder
2. Rape
3. Kidnapping
4. Armed robbery
5. Arson

There are more that I wouldn't even list in a family newspaper. Sounds like the kind of folks you want to have over for dinner, and introduce to your daughter, eh?

It seems odd that a convicted felon loses his right to vote, but should have the right to acquire a gun.

"Look pal, you can have all the guns you want, but don't even think about touching a ballot!"

What's next? Getting discount memberships to dating services for convicted rapists?