My Last Opinion on the Matter

Sadly, I think this is the situation.

One of the political opinions I've changed recently is about gun control. Some of that is from experience. I live in a place that some call the most violent place in America, but statistically, it is more violent out West. Chicagoland is somewhere in the middle of the pack. We just get on the news as we are a bit more concentrated than other metropolises. Anyway, I purchased and obtained a few guns recently. It shocked me how easy it was. I got my card from the State to show I wasn't a felon and within 3 days, I could have legally obtained any gun I wanted, aside from those already controlled. I was only slightly more inconvenienced when I purchased Pseudofed from the pharmacy. Here in my hand was a device whose only purpose is to project violence at a distance. It serves no other purpose. Do you know how much training it took to get one. None. Not a single minute. I had a gun that, to quote Dirty Harry, could "blow your head clean off" and no one cared who I was or what my intentions were.

I'm not afraid of guns. I grew up around them and some in my family have many, many guns. I know that they can be useful in varmint eradication. I'm somewhat amused by being in the country and thinking "guns, meh." to living in the city thinking "guns, What the hell do you need that for? Do you know how many kids are killed by those things?"

I don't know what the solution is to our mass-shooting problems. NIU, in the "next town over" from where I live, where Tracy received her Masters Degree, had its own shooting. I do know that doing nothing isn't working. I don't want to confiscate peoples' guns and I'm tired that so many people flee to that extreme in the arguments. I don't believe the guv'ment is out to get us and I think, as a country, we all need some serious civics lessons. I still have hope in mankind generally even though I'm a bit of a fatalist.

I found the following comment on Vox's article and I really like it. With it, I'll be done and try not to engage in any more arguments. I lose hope in humanity so easily now, that we can't get along, compromise, and lack so much empathy. Perhaps I need some of that myself. Still. it is what it is.

Gillian Mc Allister: Terrorism in any name is still terrorism. What we have to look at is the mechanism of how it happened. And, repeatedly it comes down to guns in the hands of the wrong people. We have 50 states worth of gun control laws from somewhat strict to meaningless. They all have failed us repeatedly. The problem must be addressed on a national level to have teeth and the ability to follow up and be effective across state lines. We cannot continue to bury our heads in the sand and hope that it will get better with more publicity. But it hasn't and that is blatantly apparent. Federal Laws that must address all the issues and have cross reference teeth to back it up with repercussions before more innocents die for the sake of the NRA and their toadies. The right to own a gun must be second to the right to live. Here is a framework of how to frame the laws and give it teeth to punish those who disregard the right to life of ourselves and our children:

1. Require background checks at all sales locations – not just at stores but at gun shows, in gun show parking lots, private sales, etc.

2. Require obligatory reporting of all gun sales including private sales with legal/criminal repercussions for failing to do so.

3. Require licensing with safety training & testing required with mandatory liability insurance for each gun with yearly renewals - just like driving licenses.

4. Loss of those licenses and privileges for serious infractions - having your guns taken away if you are found liable for "careless use" such as leaving loaded weapons around for children to pick up - unfortunately it may be after the fact such as in the cases where young children have killed other children or parents accidentally but at least it is a step in the right direction, or if you are found to be a "straw purchaser" buying for someone else who would not have passed the criteria for obtaining a license.

5. Make parents or the gun owner liable for children or others getting their hands on the owned guns and shooting someone. It is the responsibility of the gun owner to make sure his/her guns are secure.

6. Require presentation of both the license and liability insurance for the purchase of both guns and ammo.

7. Maintain a national registration data base on all gun and ammo purchases with the ability to investigate unusual or large purchases through designed algorithms to catch outliers and to be able to trace confiscated guns to their original owners so as to track how they got into the hands of criminal or terrorists. This goes along with the next item.

8. Require mandatory reporting of all stolen guns within 24 hours with legal/criminal repercussions for failing to do so.

9. Confiscate weapons of all those convicted of domestic violence or felonies and not permitting licensing for them in the future.

10. No conceal carry or open carry unless there is a definitive and crucial reason demonstrating that the person is under high risk due to their job but then only with the proper training, certification, licensing and insurance.

11. Require mental health background checks in order to obtain a license to purchase as suicide and homicide rates jump dramatically when there are guns available within a household. Require a medical doctor’s certification, understanding that people can recover from some mental disorders, as to the viable safety or not of an applicant.

12. Trigger locks required on all guns when not in legal use with civil/criminal repercussions for failure to do so. Seriously consider “finger print” locks for future manufacturing standards – at least it will prevent anyone but the licensed purchaser from shooting the gun and all those toddler accidental shootings and render stolen guns useless.

13. Ban on all assault and automatic guns. The only purpose of an assault weapon is to kill people. They are not legal for hunting nor appropriate for any type of target shooting. These should be reserved for the military and SWAT Teams only.

14. Create a Federal “buy back” program as an incentive to reduce the physical number of guns already out there. Yes, it is voluntary but it is a beginning and had a very successful effect in Australia.

These are reasonable and realistic parameters that we should fight for. I'm not talking about taking guns away across the board but rather licensing them and making sure of education, responsibility and insurance - just like cars.

The right to own a gun should not come at the expense of the safety of other citizens going about their daily activities.

Yes, there are plenty of safety conscious and responsible gun owners and these suggestions would not affect their ability to continue to do so but these laws would provide a level of safety for the rest of our citizens that does not exist today against those who are not responsible.

Yes, guns don't kill per se, just like automobiles don't kill all by themselves, but PEOPLE with guns do, just like bad driver's or drunk drivers, or driver's with road rage. And the mass killing that we have seen is just that - anger and rage out of control with a deadly weapon in their hands. That's what we have to address. And, yes, it will be difficult but we have to take the step to protect each other from this kind of travesty.

If you complain but do nothing – stop complaining. Otherwise become active, write letters to your congressmen and representatives at both the state and federal level. Let them know how strongly you feel about this and keep telling them. Be proactive in getting others involved before more innocent lives are lost. REMEMBER, with the current rash of catastrophes and inflamed public opinion we do have a chance at the voting booths. We tell our candidates that we will not vote for them unless they are willing to endorse strong gun safety laws. 

WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE – BUT WE MUST TAKE ACTION AND VOTE WISELY

HOW MANY MORE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE WE START CREATING AND ENFORCING STRONG GUN CONTROL LAWS?????????  WOULD IT CHANGE IF IT WAS YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER - YOUR SISTER OR BROTHER - YOUR MOTHER OR FATHER?  THEN WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR????????

For your viewing pleasure, I still find this useful, even though it was a comedy routine.




Some other links:
john-oliver-australia-guns
I_bought_an_AR-15_semi-automatic_rifle_in_Philly_in_7_minutes
Upworthy from last year