Al Gore's platform includes "common-sense" gun laws, including firearms registration. However, in Haynes v. United States (1968), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that criminals cannot be punished for possession of unregistered guns, or for failure to register guns, due to their Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination. This means that registration would only be required of lawful firearms owners. In this light, what does Al Gore hope to accomplish? Since crime reduction cannot result from registration (because criminals are not required to register their guns), only one goal is possible: confiscation of private firearms.

Anti-gun activists cry, "Paranoia! No one wants to take your guns," and even some gun owners say, "That can't happen in America." But it has happened, in the U.S.. In New York City, which has had mandatory long gun registration since 1967, so-called "assault weapons" (a designation based largely on appearance) were confiscated in the early 1990s, despite NYC police commissioner testimony that no legally-held "assault weapon" had ever been used in a crime. "Assault weapon" registration also became confiscation in California in the late 1990s. In addition to happening here, it has also recently happened in Great Britain (all handguns), Australia (all repeating firearms, including semi-auto and pump-action shotguns), and in Canada (all handguns). Even if it did not happen here during Gore's administration (though it almost certainly would), registration opens the door to confiscation, wherever it occurs. Do not let Gore or his supporters tell you otherwise.