The Pennsylvania House Bill 1161 is more likely a response to HB 760, which would set up a repressive gun registration system in the commonwealth. While unknown to many, it is already illegal for Pennsylvania police to maintain a permanent registry of legal handgun sales, but they do anyway by calling it a "database" rather than a "registry." HB 1161 would make this act a third-degree felony and punishable by fines up to $5 million. Isn't it reasonable for our own law enforcement to obey the intent of the current laws? HB 1161 would not make it any easier for anyone to obtain a firearm like the editorial suggested. Total registration of firearms is the first step to taking them away or making ownership very difficult (examples: UK, Australia, Nazi Germany). This is a bad thing. Even if you could convince felons to register their illegal guns (that's the purpose, right?), you would be violating their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination. Using homicide statistics for Philadelphia should be an argument against gun control, not for more gun control like the editorial suggested. Philly already has the most restrictive gun control laws in the commonwealth and it obviously hasn't deterred criminals.