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Article on NJ gun laws
The Philadelpha Inquirer has an article on how much harder it was for a woman reporter to buy a gun in New Jersey (which the paper of course regards as a good thing). Two strange things, tho.
1. Apparently you must give the police references, to whom they send a questionaire asking, among other things, if you are an anarchist. I suppose this is a holdover from the beginning of the 20th century, when at least some anarchists were throwing bombs instead of holding long debates on how capitalism and neighborhood associations could replace government. But you'd think a newspaper would be a bit skeptical about police asking about First Amendment matters...
2. The authorities were so considerate, they dropped by her house to make sure her husband approved of her having a gun. Now, you think, the newspaper would find that a bit odd. This isn't 1883, after all. Women can even appear in public in bloomers without being arrested, even in New Jersey. But she calls up the president of NOW and is told "It's a very thoughtful law," Gandy tells me by phone. "Yes, it makes it harder for people who aren't criminals or violent to get a gun. But, at the same time, it makes it harder for the people who are."
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Over the years I have received a few of these questionaires from friends who have applied for a NJ FID card. If memory serves me right one of the questions is "is there any reason why this person shouldn't possess a gun?" My advice to anyone in Nj is to be sure that their references are only pro-gun friends. One more thing, I believe that issuing a NJ FID card is up to the discretion of the local CLEO.
The questions on FID applications are established in the statutes, and IIRC, there's a prohibition against additional questions or requirements.
That doesn't stop a lot of townships, however. I've heard of photographs being required, additional pages(!) of non official questions, and on at least on occassion, I'd heard that the police canvased the neighborhood.
NJ law has definitive recourse that can be appealed to in the event a FID is denied, but more often than not, FID apps simply languish, despite the 45 day requirement embedded in the statutes. This was set aside by the NJ Supreme Court, who found it "in the interest of society" that the police be granted as much time as they felt they needed for a thorough background check. There is literally no legal recourse for no action taken on a FID.
It's a sore spot for me: they jerked my chain for 10 months. That's not unusual.
"But you'd think a newspaper would be a bit skeptical about police asking about First Amendment matters..."
From what I've seen, the media seems to think the First Amendment is exclusively their domain, and does not apply to individuals. Just as many of them do not believe the Second Amendment applies to individuals.