Jay Fitzgerald backs Steve Bailey (and so do I). You really have to wonder sometimes what’s going on with our Federal authorities.
Brendan adds a good philosophical point, however:
In a sense, it’s interesting that in general the liberal side of the political spectrum in the US right now is in favor of lighter punishments for those who actually commit murder, but wants to confiscate one particular means of doing so; while the conservative side supports much stiffer penalties for murder, but keeping guns moderately available. In a world full of thinking persons, this would indicate some very interesting things about how the two side view the human person.
In reality, however, it may just be that the younger, more urban and childless demographics which are the mainstay of liberal activism have a personal distaste for guns, while the older, more rural demographic that votes most conservatively sees the benefits of guns as well as their cost.