Smart Gun Technology

Smart-gun Technology

Introduction

The article “California Ruling Could Pave the Way for Smart-Gun Mandates” by Joe Palazzolo, which is contained in the Wall Street journal (Online) argues that the recent ruling by the California Appeals Court could have a significant impact on smart-gun technology and extensive implications in the rate at which the President’s recent calls for more “smart guns” are implemented. The reason for selecting this article is its significance to the topic of legal constitution analysis and more specifically, the smart-gun technology, which has received unprecedented attention in the recent months. It is well-known that the United States faces the problem of consistent shootings that have led to an increase in internal insecurity and a corresponding rise in deaths of civilians (Brunker and Donnelly 2).

There have been intensified calls to introduce a solution to the problem. In this article, the ruling by the California Appeals Court demonstrates advancement towards a solution, which makes the article important for this review.

Article Summary

The article presents news about a potential ruling by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco that could compel firearm manufacturers in the U.S. to incorporate safety mechanisms in their products with the view of reducing shootings. Additionally, the article outlines that the potential ruling could have an extensive implication on whether and the rate at which President Obama’s recent calls for progress in “smart guns” can take effect. The court is pondering on a California law that might mandate firearm manufacturers to produce hand guns that will not fire bullets left in the chamber in their magazines are detached, and which will signal if there is a bullet left in the chamber. Whereas these are inventions introduced over a century ago, the ruling could inform other efforts by other states to require new technologies advocated by the Obama administration to deter unauthorized users from firing handguns.

        The article then offers a summary of smart guns, (1) those that will not fire unless the shooter possesses a mechanism that communicates with the handgun and (2) handguns with readers to obtain prints from hands. These encompass the radio-frequency technology- Armatix iP1 pistol and iW1 RFID watch and biometric technology – Kodiak Industries’ Intelligun. Smart gun supporters maintain they will reduce accidental deaths from firearms. Industry representatives, on the other hand, accept the proposal only if the laws will not be forced on them. Gun-rights groups deem the potential law as disadvantageous since it will mandate all cities to adopt them and own a specific gun. Store owners in California and Maryland faced complaints and death threats for giving the government a getaway by selling the guns. District Judge Kimberley Mueller had rejected the provisions to sell the smart guns in 2009 in Sacramento where Calguns Foundation and the Second Amendment Foundation had deemed they violated the Second Amendment by barring the purchase of different types of handguns; this led to the appeals in the Ninth Circuit.