there was an interesting Diary about trying to find a common ground to discuss real solutions to the gun ownership debate. Unfortunately, it did not find common ground.
This is my effort at building a bridge.
I will not link to studies, or opinions, or blogs. This is not about proven results or statistics or perfection. This is about discussing the pros and cons of gun control amongst average Americans. What might work today, what might work tomorrow, what we might dream of working some day.
The bridge we have to build is vast.
On one extreme, We have people who are not willing to discuss anything to do with real, actual, weapons. Their solutions include, but not limited to, world peace, health care for all, a living wage for all, and jobs for all, oh, and an end to the war on drugs. On the other extreme we have banning all weapons.
Obviously, both are silly and not really a place to start a discussion on the prevalence and use of guns in our society. The first because it doesn't actually talk about gun ownership and the second because it would be a bad idea to ban all guns. There are plenty of legitimate uses for guns.
So lets go beyond the squiggly and talk.
I've been watching the gun talks for years. There are some things, that we (yes, I am a gun limits person) routinely acknowledge.
1) It is too easy to get a gun. This means that people don't really have a hard time buying or obtaining weapons.
2) It is too easy to buy large amounts of ammunition. And done anonymously, no one can really be tracked buying buckets of ammunition. Hell, my Credit Card is flagged when I make too many purchases, but it's a-ok to buy 9000 rounds of bullets?
3) The death rate by guns in the US is too high. Why?
These things need to be discussed. I agree that we need good medical care and care for mental issues. I agree that peace on earth would be helpful and love for all would decrease gun deaths. But, what we really need to discuss is weapons. So, here is my bridge. This is where I would start:
1) Registration for all guns. I know, lots of current guns would not be registered. Whatever. That is irrelevant. There was a time when cars were not registered either. Fines, confiscation and even jail time for repeated offenses would do the job over time. All future guns would have an id and said id would be tracked.
1a) Ban individual sales. Sell your gun back to a licensed dealer. Seriously, selling Bushmasters to people on Ebay seems problematic. At the very least, make sure each sale is tracked, as is through car sales.
1b) It is harder to buy Sudafed than ammo. Track ammo sales.
2) Licenses for users. Anyone who wants to discharge a weapon in any situation, should be licensed. The license would include a written and practical test to make sure basic safety concerns are addressed. I'm all for learner's permits too for our teens who want to hunt.
3) Insurance coverage. Just like a car owner has to maintain a certain amount of insurance if things go sour, so should gun owners. If your gun is used in a crime, you may be held liable. If your gun was in an accident, you may be held liable. Either way, the victim is covered and owners know they have to be responsible.
4) Guns that have no purpose but to kill many people as quickly as possible. Some call these Assault Rifles, others say Semi-Automatic Rifles with High-Capacity Clips, others say death machines. Yeah, I get it. As a non-gun user, I have no idea what the terms are, but I do know that being able to shoot many bullets in less than a minute is a far cry different from a well regulated militia of 1750. That said, I can recognize that people like different things. So, these sorts of machines can be available at shooting ranges, either through personal storage or rental opportunities. Plus, make the ammo only available at the range. Win-win. People get to shoot high powered weapons and less are available on the street to kill people.
Basically, guns should be like cars, but more so because they are small and easily concealed. The excuse that there are too many already is disingenuous. Sure, now there are. But, if every gun manufactured in the future had a number and history, it would change gun ownership in the future, just like cars. Yeah, you can sand off the number, but being in possession of a non VIN car is illegal too.
I have no doubt people will rebel. They won't register their guns. They won't take a proficiency test. Like hell they will pay to insure their guns. Fine. So be it. That is no reason not to enact the laws.
No matter how difficult, we need to make a change. Let's talk real solutions. Ones that actually address gun ownership. World peace is lovely and I support it 100%, but it doesn't address the availability of guns in the US. Let's get real and talk about guns and the responsibilities of gun ownership.