Do Maryland Democrats Want To Ban Civil War Reenactments?

Did Maryland Democrats consider banning American Civil War reenactments in 2016?

You have to wonder if I am too mean when describing the anti-gun Democrats here in Maryland.

But then they do something even dumber, and I realize they brought it upon themselves.

Democrats have this uncanny inability to understand the effects of their legislation outside of a narrow window that they believe it will affect.

Case in point, Maryland House Bill 703.

How will the 2016 Maryland House Bill 703 affect Civil War reenactments?

From the LegiScan website:

Applying specified provisions disqualifying a person from possessing a rifle or shotgun to an antique firearm and altering the definition of “firearm” so as to clarify that the term includes an antique firearm.

So I’ll give them credit.

There’s a logical argument for restricting people from owning a musket if they cannot own a firearm. I completely disagree with their logic, but at least there is some consistency.

But read that second part, and read it closely. “altering the definition of a firearm to clarify that the term includes an antique firearm.”

The ATF defines an “antique firearm” as any firearm manufactured before 1898 (or a replica) which uses black powder and a matchlock, flintlock, percussion cap, or similar ignition system to fire a round.

Does that seem a little confusing?

If the firearm was used in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War, would the gun be considered an antique?

So, would the 2016 legislation ban Civil War reenactments? 

Under this legislation, muskets used by Civil War Reenactors are classified as firearms, not antiques.

In Maryland, it is a crime to carry a weapon on public property in plain view, otherwise known as “open carry.”

No more Civil War Reenactors dressed up for parades.

What about annual gatherings at the Antietam National Battlefield to memorialize the tragic event?

I sure hope the legislators in Annapolis see this for the terrible legislation it is before the long-standing traditions of Maryland prevent our children from being able to experience the rich Civil War history in this state.