It never ceases to amaze how Albany works, or should I say tries to work and the ink isn’t even dry on our governor’s 5.9 million votes. As one who has seen many an election, and one who has some idea how things really work, it was no surprise when the Democrats in Albany introduced a new attack on the gun owners’ rights in New York.

Now, first of all, I agree there are some folks who should not have access to firearms, just as some should not be allowed to drive. As much as we all would like to hope, not all adults are responsible/mature enough to own a firearm. Like my dad always says, “A drivers’ license is not a right, it is privilege.” The same holds true for owning any type of firearm, and it is especially true for those of us who have the privilege to own handguns.

As a licensed-hand owner, we understand the responsibility that comes with such ownership. Have a license to own and carry a hand gun in New York State takes a lot of work and under the laws that continue to be introduced in Albany, the attack on handgun owners is never ending.

Earlier this week The Post-Journal ran a story about proposed law (S-9191) by Democrat Kevin Parker from Brooklyn. The bill would basically add another layer of bureaucracy in the SAFE Act. After one makes his way through all the legal mumbo jumbo, this new proposed law has to do with another amendment — the first one, freedom of speech. The proposed bill has to do with handgun owners online remarks and comments.

In New York State, depending on which website one checks on, gun ownership varies between 11 percent to 18 percent. After some checking, I haven’t been able to find more specific numbers (for example, county breakdown. I’m sure if I could, it would show the eastern part of the state with lower numbers than the central and western part of the state.

But it’s no secret that statewide elections are not won west of Albany.

If one does the math, one can understand why Andrew Cuomo and most members of the State Legislate easily won re-election despite perpetrating a public fraud like the SAFE Act. Because most people don’t own guns and know very little about firearms, politicians are able to fool the majority of the electorate who care little about a second amendment right because they think it doesn’t affect them.

According to The Post-Journal story dated Nov. 28, Chautauqua County Sheriff Joe Gerace said the stress this new bill would put on local sheriff offices would be great.

“There is no way that investigating agencies could do this kind of thing without additional manpower,” Gerace said. “It would be tremendously costly and ineffective.

Using basic common sense Gerace continues, “It’s not practical in any way. It’s not reasonable. I see this as a major infringement on people’s privacy and their rights.”

Freedom of speech is, and will continue to be, the cornerstone of our democracy. With that being said, as NYS Assemblyman Andy Goodell stated in the same article, “There is a gem of good in here.”

With his vast wisdom, Goodell understands that something needs to be done to get the guns out of the hands of those who aren’t responsible enough to own them, but it seems to me that he knows something else could be done that wouldn’t infringe on the first amendment.

While I’m sure that this bill has a chance of getting off the floor, one never knows when we are talking about Albany. After all, the SAFE Act was slid through about this time of year in 2012 and was put into affect during the first part of 2013. That has always been one of things that has confused me.

How could such a bill become law in the matter of days?

The back-room meeting with a small group of folks pushed through a law that was done pretty much under the cover of darkness, during the holiday season no less. While there are many “gems” in the SAFE Act, there is much more to be fixed. Nevertheless, most of us of like-minded folks understand when 5.9 million New York State voters continue to get the wool pulled over their eyes by politicians in Albany, the change wouldn’t come easily.

To use the same system that Senator Kevin Parker from Brooklyn proposes, maybe we all should start “Googling” our elected officials before they are elected. One would be amazed at the research.