Gun Control. I don’t think there’s ever been two words that could spike blood pressure so high in such a large portion of the population. Ever. Half of us want tighter gun control up to and including completely outlawing guns all together. The other half wants no gun control up to and including letting anyone buy and carry anything they want to just because they want to.
Or at least that’s what the News wants you to believe. The percentages are probably more like 10-15% want more gun control and another 10-15% want less gun control. That leaves the remaining 70-80% of us stuck in the middle going deaf from all the shouting. That’s not to say that those of us in the middle of the Bell Curve don’t have an opinion. We do. We’re just not as extreme or strident about it.
Be that as it may, we still have a major disagreement going on. One one side of the argument are the people who want stricter gun laws / better enforcement of existing gun laws / guns to be completely outlawed / all of the above. On the other side are the people who fewer guns laws / fewer restrictions on concealed carry / no gun laws at all. These two groups of people do not see eye to eye. So, in an effort to save everyone’s hearing and sanity…and hopefully some lives…I’d like to make a proposal.
Accept reality. We have a gun culture in this country. Accept it. It’s not going to change…at least not any time soon. The writers of the Bill of Rights mandated that every citizen of this country has the Right to keep and bear arms. For America that’s a reality right up there with, “The sun rises in the East.” So…all you people on the Gun Control / Gun Registration side of things…people like…me…accept that guns are here and they’re here to stay.
But…and here I’m talking to the pro-gun / Constitutional Rights people. You know who you are…people like…me. Start acting like grown-up, responsible Citizens. You have your guns. The Gub’mint ain’t gonna take ’em away. They can’t. Do the math. There’s too many of you and too few of them. So stop acting like spoiled kids on the playground who think the teacher is going to take away your favorite toy. It is not going to happen.
Let’s try something different instead. Let’s try to actually talk to each other and maybe come up with a compromise solution that everyone can live with. Here’s my suggestion for a starting point. Oh…and before I get started, a word of warning. There are suggestions here that are going to piss off both sides. That’s kind of the point. Nobody gets everything they want. One side gives up a little, the other side gives up a little. That’s why I called it a compromise.
Here we go…
- Universal Gun Registration. I have to register my car. I have to register my house. If I ever get rich enough to afford an airplane I’ll have to register that. Why is it so terrible to have to register a gun? Oh, and no loopholes!!! UNIVERSAL. Pro-gun people keep saying that registered gun owners aren’t responsible for most gun violence…which means that unregistered gun owners ARE responsible for most gun violence. So why not stop unregistered gun purchases?
- Universal Carry Permit availability but with mandatory training on safety and all pertinent laws before a Permit is issued and mandatory, periodic relicensing. I can get a Drivers License in any State and use it to drive in any State. But first I have to take a class to learn how to safely operate a motor vehicle and then take a test to prove that I can safely operate a motor vehicle. Then, I can get a license…which I have to periodically renew. Same with a plane. Why not with a gun? Oh, and a standard drivers license does NOT allow me to operate a tractor-trailer rig. That requires a different class of license…and training…and testing. If a gun owner wants to own more powerful guns they should have to receive more stringent training, undergo more stringent testing and be subject to more stringent penalties.
- Stricter penalties for gun law violations patterned after drunk driving laws.
- 1st offense – temporary lost of gun license, fines, short jail time and a criminal record.
- 2nd offense – permanent loss of gun license, mandatory forfeiture of all firearms, much higher fines and longer jail time.
- 3rd offense – thrown them in a hole and thrown the hole in after them.
Gun ownership is a Right. There can be no argument on this. But rights have responsibilities. A gun owner must be willing to accept the responsibility for keeping his guns safe, carrying them safely, being knowledgeable in the pertinent laws and using them in full accordance with those laws. And he must also be prepared to accept the full consequences of his actions if he screws up.
There you go. My suggestions on Gun Control. Personally, I don’t think they have a chance in hell of ever becoming law. But what do you think? Let me know.