Best to keep the Glock under the pillow with one in the chamber!

You should do time.

A lot of it.

Maybe all of it.

This is my generic response to gun threads where people are shot and killed by the dumb or criminal possession of guns. For the record, I grew up in the South and on military bases. I was taught about firearms as a child, and I grew up hunting, was a member of the NRA, and I still own guns. In the 70’s, I dropped out of the NRA because they become more radical and less interested in safety and training. Some personal experiences where people I know were involved in shootings caused me to realize that anyone could obtain and posses a gun no matter how illogical it was for them to have a gun. Also, easy access to more powerful guns, guns in the hands of children, and guns that weren’t secured are out of control in our society. As such, here’s what I now think ought to be the requirements to possess a gun. I’m not debating the legal language, I just think it’s the reasonable way to stop the shootings. Notice, none of this restricts the type of guns sold. This is aimed at the people who shoot others, because it’s clear that they should never have had a gun.

1.) Anyone in possession of a gun (whether they own it or not) should have a regularly renewed license. If you want to call it a permit, certificate, or something else that's fine.
2.) To get a license, you should have a background check, and be examined by a professional for emotional and mental stability appropriate for gun possession. It might be appropriate to require that examination to be accompanied by references from family, friends, employers, etc. This check is not to subject you to a mental health diagnosis, just check on your superficial and apparent gun-worthyness.
3.) To get the license, you should be required to take a safety course and pass a test appropriate to the type of gun you want to use.
4.) To get a license, you should be over 21. Under 21, you could only use a gun under direct supervision of a licensed person and after obtaining a learner’s license. Your license might be restricted if you have children or criminals or other unsafe people living in your home. (If you want to argue 18 or 25 or some other age, fine. 21 makes sense to me.)
5.) If you possess a gun, you would have to carry a liability insurance policy specifically for gun ownership - and likely you would have to provide proof of appropriate storage, security, and whatever statistical reasons that emerge that would drive the costs and ability to get insurance.
6.) You could not purchase a gun or ammunition without a license, and purchases would have a waiting period.
7.) If you possess a gun without a license, you go to jail, the gun is impounded, and a judge will have to let you go (just like a DUI).
8.) No one should carry an unsecured gun (except in a locked case, unloaded) when outside of home. Guns should be secure when transporting to a shooting event without demonstrating a special need. Their license should indicate training and special carry circumstances beyond recreational shooting (security guard, etc.). If you are carrying your gun while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you lose your gun and license.
9.) If you buy, sell, give away, or inherit a gun, your license information should be recorded.
10.) If you accidentally discharge your gun, commit a crime, get referred by a mental health professional, are served a restraining order, etc., you should lose your license and guns until reinstated by a serious relicensing process.

Most of you know that a license is no big deal. Besides a driver’s license you need a license to fish, operate a boat, or many other activities. I realize these differ by state, but that is not a reason to let anyone without a bit of sense pack a semiautomatic weapon in public, on the roads, and in schools. I think we need to make it much harder for some people to have guns.

http://www.projectchildsafe.org

There is no excuse

or EMTs coming to check on you at the behest of your relatives.

every second counts!

is all that's left.

https://www.facebook.com/HaleyKateC

This poor family had one son and twin daughters. She found Jesus who helped turn her life around. But he didn't tell her not to let a loaded pistol lie around in the house where her three year old could find it, pull the trigger and shoot himself dead at 7 am in the morning.

Guess that type of help is over his pay grade.

Sad. Horrific. But utterably preventable.

I have a friend who I grew up with...nice guy...who's had a CCW Permit for over a year...carries everywhere. He has 3 children, 2 under the age of 10.

There is NOTHING in the world I can say to him to convince him that he doesn't need to have a chambered round...whether carrying or handguns around the house...that with 5 min. a day of dry run drills he can train himself to draw and chamber a round in a fraction of a second, and if he needed more time than that it probably wouldn't have made a difference anyway...unless he were walking around challenging people old west style...not the case.

Let me remind you that this guy...nice guy...family man...stereotypical white guy...not malicious...I would like to think not paranoid...could be standing next to you and your child at Food Lion, has a handgun tucked under his shirt with a chambered round, and sometimes!!! (I caught him on this) with the safety off.

I'd like to think he's not a fool. I don't know if this is a mental condition or what.

Their child is in a pack-and-play most of the time, but she is old enough to crawl and cruise. I told them they really might want to think about putting the gun away that was on the table.

I absolutely hate guns with a passion.

...to act irresponsibly by letting their "tools" be used after easily getting into some other person's hands. But hey, it wasn't intentional so what can one do, right? We don't want to discourage reckless gun ownership. These things just do happen.