"Smart guns" are one of the stupidest ideas of the century

With the 2020 elections approaching, Democrats, and some Republicans, are waxing hysterical once again. To nobody's surprise, the rights of American gun owners are among their most prominent whipping boys. Of course, that includes trotting out a dozen threadbare, already discredited memes, as well as one of the dumbest ideas anyone's proposed since the invention of firearms; the smart gun. Even Creepy 'N' Clueless Joe, a man that I seriously doubt is able to put his shoes on the right feet without a diagram, has tried it on. So, what's wrong with smart guns? Let me count the ways.

I'll begin with the obvious. Anyone who owns a firearm for self defense, be it a police officer, a civilian concealed carry license holder, a homeowner, even someone who's job or other pursuits takes them into the wilderness, requires a defensive weapon that is as reliable as it is humanly possible to make it. It has to go bang whenever its owner needs it to, no excuses. Anything which adds a level of complexity to that process, and therefore another thing that can go horribly wrong, is a bad idea.

Proponents argue that the technology will prevent unauthorized use of firearms. The idea is that if a criminal or mentally unstable person gets control of a weapon, they won't be able to use it. On it's face, that may be true, but it's a simple and naive view.