As J.D. Tuccille points out in this Hit and Run article on non-compliance with the new Connecticut assault weapons registration law, the morons who wrote it evidently knew nothing of history.

A bit of miltary wisdom has it that you should never give an order you know won't be obeyed. Issuing such an order accomplishes nothing except to undermine your authority and expose the extent to which, no matter what enforcement mechanisms are in place, you rely upon voluntary compliance. But now that Connecticut's resident class of politically employed cretins has awoken to the fact that, in their state, like everywhere else, people overwhelmingly disobey orders to register their weapons, they're acting like this is a shocking revelation. They're also promising to make those who tried to comply, but missed the deadline regret the effort (proving the point of the openly defiant). And the politicians' enablers in the press are screaming for the prosecution of "scores of thousands" of state residents who, quite predictably, flipped the bird at the government.

Three years ago, the Connecticut legislature estimated there were 372,000 rifles in the state of the sort that might be classified as "assault weapons," and two million plus high-capacity magazines. Many more have been sold in the gun-buying boom since then. But by the close of registration at the end of 2013, state officials received around 50,000 applications for "assault weapon" registrations, and 38,000 applications for magazines.

Some people actually tried to comply with the registration law, but missed the deadline. The state's official position is that it will accept applications notarized on or before January 1, 2014 and postmarked by January 4. But, says Dora Schriro, Commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, in a letter to lawmakers, anybody sufficiently law-abiding but foolish enough to miss that slightly extended grace period will have to surrender or otherwise get rid of their guns.

Tuccille points to this Hartford Currant editorial where the enlightened press demands the arrest of the tens of thousands of state residents who are defying the law:

t's estimated that perhaps scores of thousands of Connecticut residents failed to register their military-style assault weapons with state police by Dec. 31....

...the bottom line is that the state must try to enforce the law. Authorities should use the background check database as a way to find assault weapon purchasers who might not have registered those guns in compliance with the new law.

A Class D felony calls for a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Even much lesser penalties or probation would mar a heretofore clean record and could adversely affect, say, the ability to have a pistol permit.

If you want to disobey the law, you should be prepared to face the consequences.

Note the glee with which Currant editors take in besmirching the record of completely innocent people. Serves 'em right if they can't get a "pistol permit," eh? That'll teach 'em!

You have to read the entire editorial to get the total disconnect from reality.

Widespread noncompliance with this major element of a law that was seen as a speedy and hopefully effective response by Connecticut to mass shootings such as the one at Sandy Hook creates a headache for the state.

"Speedy and effective"? For who? Against what? Are they (bleeping) me?

No doubt the self-righteous editors at the Currant would support the construction of huge detention centers to incarcerate the dangerous criminals who won't do what their government is ordering them to do. There certainly isn't enough room in Connecticut jails to hold them all.

Criminalizing gun ownership leads to the kind of mindset that would put people in jail for trivialities. Let's hope the authorities come to their senses and quietly refuse to enforce this unenforceable law.