The Only NYC Gun Range...

...does not sound very friendly toward the US Constitution. Maybe the owner, Darren Leung, is just being circumspect, but then again, I have heard similar comments from gun shop employees in Hawaii.

The range, which opened in 1964, is necessary, said Leung, because licensed gun owners need a convenient place to shoot in the city. But still, the police run the show, and can take back anyone's firearm for any reason.

How very respectful of the US Constitution can one get? Our servants can seize our constitutionally protected property any time our servants please. Is this really what America is supposed to be about? Does "shall not be infringed" really mean "of course we can make it a felony"? Apparently the Good Americans of NYC believe so.

"Your right can never be taken away from you," continued Leung, "but your privilege can be revoked at any given time. The NYPD is the licensing entity. They can add any kinds of stipulations they want. And they don't have to explain why."

If this really is Leung's position, he sounds like a Good New Yorker. So much for the Constitution's Bill of Privileges.

It makes sense to keep guns on a short leash, Leung acknowledges....He also said he doesn't have much problem with the six- to eight-month waiting period for a gun permit, though the $340 fee for a three-year license is quite steep compared to other places. Without such a permit, issued by the NYPD, which declined to say how many New Yorkers have gun permits despite repeated attempts, it's illegal to even touch a handgun. And those who get a license are required to purchase a firearm as well, so it's not possible to simply have a license to shoot pistols without having your own.

Keep repeating: "shall not be infringed" means "of course we can make it a felony". Any subtle and well-informed thinker knows that.

After the wait, and shelling out upwards of $1,500 for fingerprints, licensing, membership at a club, a firearm and ammunition, target shooting isn't a cheap hobby. Some prospective buyers are put off by all the red tape, which is surely in place to discourage all but the most highly motivated....

Yes, that will keep guns on a short leash. Guns in the hands of the law-abiding that is. There is no evidence that such laws make it more difficult for criminals in New York City to get and carry guns. But then it is the law-abiding whom we must worry about, right? It's OK if criminals have guns, so long as our servants disarm the potential victims.

For practical purposes, that puts violent criminals squarely on the same team as our servants: Our servants make sure we are unable to protect ourselves, and the criminals then do what armed criminals do to disarmed victims.

It's the so-called Liberal Way.

Read more of Daniel Krieger's story here.