The same video games
are played by the same percentage of people all over the world. The rates of
mental illness are the same all over the world. Worship rates are the same or
lower in other countries. The same percentages of LGBTQ+ people exist in other
countries.
Other first world
countries have already figured this out.
This chart shows gun ownership rates plotted against gun-related homicide rates for various countries where GDP >$20K.
As you can see, we are the outlier.
(Data from Mark Reid)
So, how do we solve
the problem? First we need to understand that there are two issues: preventing
bad guys from getting guns and limiting the damage they can do should they be
able to get one. We must address both. Here are some suggestions.
1 - Read and
understand the text of the second amendment. The introductory phrase is almost
half of the words in the amendment; the founding fathers were spare with their words and included it for a
reason. That reason is detailed in the Federalist Papers #29. They feared an
all-powerful federal standing army. Their solution was decentralized,
state-controlled militia. A citizen army that was regularly trained
("well-regulated") and could be activated by the state government
much like, though not precisely, today's National Guard. (Today's National
Guard is really just an arm of the federal army…) Remember that the second
amendment is about *people*, not weapons.
2 - Repeal the
Dickey Amendment, a provision in the 1996 spending bill that restricts the CDC
from doing firearms research. Fund the CDC so that it may collect gun death
statistics and analyze causal factors. Go where the data leads us.
3 - Repeal the
PLCAA, the 2005 law that gives weapons manufacturers and dealers a liability
exemption. No other product has such an exemption. Metal tipped lawn darts were
banned because one child died. How many children have to die before we fix
this problem?
4 - A coherent and
cohesive framework for training, licensing/permits, and background checks. Here
is a suggested framework, none of which infringes on your right to own a gun if
you are a law-abiding person:
- Institute a Firearm License
which is required in order to own/possess/use a firearm. In order to
obtain a license, one must pass a thorough background check, pass the
necessary firearm safety training, and undergo periodic re-certification
and re-licensing.
- Institute Firearm Insurance
which is required in order to own/posses/use a firearm. One must provide
proof of current insurance prior to the purchase of a weapon. We're
capitalists, so let the open insurance market price policies accordingly.
- Institute Universal
Background Checks prior to each firearm purchased. One must also be
licensed and insured in order to purchase a firearm. Background checks
apply to all purchases, period.
- Institute a points/red flag
system where violations accumulate points which result in penalties up to
and including inability to purchase additional weapons and/or losing your
license. This may be for a period of time or, if the violations are severe enough, permanent.
- Institute an equivalent to
the "Dram Shop" laws. All sellers must do background/insurance
checks with each purchase. If a seller fails to do so and the weapon is
used in a shooting, the seller is has liability exposure.
5 - Control the
types of weapons and accessories that are allowed for civilian use.
- The re-institute the assault
weapons ban from the 1990s that was allowed to expire. It reduced guns
deaths while it was in effect and gun deaths rose dramatically when it
expired.
- Ban automatic weapons and
accessories that convert a weapon to full-auto or produce a full-auto
effect (for example, but not limited to, bump stocks).
- Ban high capacity magazines.
If you can't hit the deer with less than 3 shots, you shouldn't be in the
woods at hunting season.
- Ban suppressors. We want to
hear when you're firing your weapon. If you're worried about your hearing,
then wear hearing protection.
- Ban body armor for civilians.
You're not a target.
6 - Rethink the
carry laws and make them consistent across the country.
- Rescind open carry of long
guns in urban areas. Do you really think it's necessary to walk around a
Walmart with an AR-15 slung over your shoulder? If you do then you need
to go back to where you came from because you don’t think it's safe here.
- Long guns must be unloaded
and in a case inside city limits.
