There are things out there that come with warning labels because some people weren't aware of what could happen. We warn smokers that smoking can cause cancer. We warn pregnant women that drinking alcohol is bad for the baby. Things like that.

In other places, we warn people of other things without labels, so much as just general guidance. For example, we warn people that eating too much can lead to obesity.

These are all things that are factually demonstrated to occur, though. We know that this happens if you make this one decision, and after you make that call, the only control you have over what happens is if you stop that behavior.

Guns are different. Yes, some studies try to claim owning a gun makes you more likely to experience certain things, but all of those certain things are the result of someone acting upon a conscious decision. Just having a gun didn't make that happen.

But California has a new bill that basically ignores that fact in an effort to scare people into giving up their guns.

Another day, another lame new bill from Sacramento.  This time the legislature wants to send propaganda to new lawful gun owners, even if that firearm is a gift or bequest from a loved one.

SB 248 (Newman) would mandate the sending of information on the “risks” of gun ownership to new gun owners.  Imagine receiving a gift from a relative who passed away only to be sent information from the government telling you how dangerous it is.    Will this information protect anyone, improve public safety, or prevent crime?  Of course not.  Still the bill passed out of its first committee this afternoon.

Of course, this will be taxpayer funded, which means people will be paying for the state to try and terrify them.

As I said already, just having a gun doesn't lead to these outcomes. It's not something that's an innate biological response to being in the presence of a firearm. That's not how it works.

But they don't want people to realize that.

Let's understand what this is really about, though. It's about trying to scare people into not being gun owners because if they buy guns, they might value their gun rights and put up a fight when the state tries to strip them.

Plus, why do you need gun control if people are too scared of guns to want one?

This won't impact the segment of society that creates problems in the first place, of course, and it will largely continue to ignore the fact that homicides and suicides both happen without any gun present at all, but that's not relevant. Those deaths don't count and have never really counted for anti-gun lawmakers.

This is a disgusting concept, and it's a transparent attack on gun ownership as a whole.

Let's not even get into the fact that sending out something to new gun owners is a not-so-subtle reminder that the state knows you have a gun and knows where you live. I'm sure that won't be intimidating at all to anyone.

Nope. Not one bit.