Gun sores are always going to be targets for thieves. After all, guns are easily transportable, in high demand on the black market, and worth a good bit of money. Criminals want them and where there is a demand, a supply will arrive.

That's just how economics works, no matter how much some try to deny it.

Gun stores try to protect their inventory as much as they feasibly can, but any cop will tell you that you can't prevent break-ins, you can only try to make things too difficult for the bad guy so they'll decide it's not worth the hassle.

In New Castle, Delaware, a recent break-in at a gun store has created quite a few stories. We know, for example, that it was a 14-year-old who committed the smash-and-grab robbery.

We also know that gun stores in the city are the ones being penalized.

The New Castle County Council unanimously passed two gun safety ordinances Tuesday night, one prohibiting guns, ammunition and explosives in county buildings and the other requiring gun stores to enhance their security.

A third ordinance, which has not yet gone to a vote, would limit where gun shops can be located in the county. If passed, firearm retail businesses would not be permitted within 500 feet of any residentially zoned parcel or 1,000 feet of a parcel containing a school, day care center or government-owned parkland. They will also be prohibited from opening within 1,500 feet of any other land parcel containing a firearm retail store.

The proposed ordinance will go to the Preliminary Land Use Service, a state agency that deals with land use planning, in August, according to the county. It is expected to go before the council for a vote in November.

In particular, "enhance their security" means barriers to prevent someone from driving into the building. Since pretty much every building's walls are vulnerable to a vehicle plowing into them, I suspect it'll apply to all points of the building. Even if it doesn't, it requires an expense that gun stores shouldn't have to deal with.

After all, it was a gun store that was the victim here.

New Castle isn't the only city that's trying stuff like this, either. A city in Rhode Island started talking about the same thing for the same reason.

Again, these stores were the victims. Stop making it sound like they were at fault for being robbed.

Then we have the zoning ordinance being considered. What, do they think that the public is somehow at risk because there are burglaries that might be too close to residential areas or schools? Do they realize there are actual burglaries in residential areas?

All of this is nothing but an attempt to penalize gun stores for existing in the city. That's it. They want to make it too difficult for gun stores to exist, thus pushing them out from their community and potentially depriving many of their ability to exercise their Second Amendment rights.

Of course, I could be wrong. They could just be that stupid and nothing else, but I'm willing to bet this is a case where we should embrace the healing power of the word "and."