Now I generally have very little faith in the ability of the average East Coast American to understand the concept of an inalienable right, but it appears that the people of New York (!!!), of all states, are intent on proving me wrong. And not just me, but one Governor Andrew Cuomo as well:

Officials estimate at least 1 million semiautomatic rifles are owned in the state, sources said.

And
come April 15, 2014 — when Cuomo is expected to be running for
re-election — they all have to be registered with the State Police.

But
because the rifles have been legal but unregistered until now,
authorities don’t know who has them or where they are located.

State officials will be nervously watching the registration figures to see how many gun owners comply, sources said.

“I
believe you will have people stepping forward, saying, ‘Here I am. See?
I have what you call an assault rifle. Now come and take it away,’ ’’
said a gun-rights activist and boycott organizer.

That’s exactly what state officials are worried about.

“Many
of these assault-rifle owners aren’t going to register; we realize
that,’’ said a Cuomo-administration source who added that officials
expect “widespread violations’’ of the new law. Owners who refuse to
register could face a class-A misdemeanor — punishable by up to a year
in prison.

Come and get them, jackass. (h/t Vox Day)

Now, if only the average American could be so keen to uphold the rest of the Bill of Rights, we might actually get somewhere…