Are we really talking about GUN CONTROL?

Last edited Thu Aug 18, 2016, 09:00 PM - Edit history (1)

Well, yes and no. To some extent we have gun control in that, for all practical purposes, some types of guns are rigidly controlled; full auto machine guns, sawed off shotguns, short barreled rifles etc. However most of what the anti gun violence movement wants isn't GUN CONTROL so much as control of people who have access to guns.

The gun rights people, on the other hand, want to allow everybody who isn't batshit crazy or a proven wanton killer to have easy access to guns. The big push over the last decade has been "shall issue" for concealed carry licenses and for ability to buy. Let's face it, this isn't really "shall issue" so much as "just give everybody a gun". In reality the only argument presented against reasonable restrictions of who has access to guns is that it will inconvenience "law abiding citizens. Really? An inconvenience is all it takes to make it easy for truly dangerous people to get guns?

The gun rights (and it really is about the rights of guns, not gun owners) people argue that if a human being is involved in vetting a potential gun buyer they MAY have a bias. Gun rights advocates fear that racial, religious, ethnic or other biases might unfairly keep someone from getting a gun. While I admit that this might happen in very rare instances the ability of people like Dylan Roof to have unfettered access to guns far outweighs the danger of some mythological racist police officer stealing an equally mythological universal 2nd Amendment right.

For my part, I would like more gun control in that I'd like to see the import, manufacture, sale or transfer of any semi automatic firearm with a removable magazine banned. Beyond that some of the things that would reduce gun violence would be:

a searchable electronic data base of all guns and gun owners

universal background checks on all gun sales and transfers

a license to buy and own guns renewable every three years or some other reasonable period

permit to purchase issued by local law enforcement with a background check which includes interviews with family members and employers as well as other relevant individuals

mandatory training in use of and laws applying to the use of guns

mandatory reporting of lost or stolen guns within 24 hours of discovery of such loss

mandatory safe storage laws

a requirement of a bonafide need for a carry license

reciprocity of carry licenses based on the most stringent requirements instead of the least

repeal of Stand Your Ground laws and a restoration of the Duty to Retreat doctrine

None of these would infringe the 2nd Amendment.


Friend of the movement Sancho has other really good ideas:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=1409659

Become a single issue voter if only for one or two election cycles.