Monday, December 17, 2012

The Gun Control Short List or "At least 3 Things We Can All Agree On"

Here's a condensed list of what I consider to be some realistic and somewhat effective gun control measures that could be undertaken. Not an exhaustive list. None are dependent on the others. None seem to be mutually exclusive right now. Bold = realistically immediate. The rest are a bit "short" on reasonable and immediate implementation and (to be perfectly honest) not as feasible constitutionally nor at all palatable to most any citizen who is concerned with personal privacy. Numbers four and eight are exceptional and noteworthy as they are included to educate the "non-shooting" members of the voting public and to prevent further confusion about the nature of firearms and to demystify them as much as possible. 

It is my conviction that any 3 of these could be put through at any given time with speed and efficiency. Measures such as these would almost certainly lead to massive reform, improved safety and an agreeable future co-existence with our 2nd amendment for all US citizens.


1. Mandatory federal licensing and waiting periods on all gun purchases from registered dealers coupled with background checks (the granting of a license will be determined by factors such as criminal record, mental health issues, physical ability to actually use a gun, age, etc - with a periodic re-registration required).

2. Mandatory, safety/training courses required to obtain and maintain a license. 

3. Required, licensed, secured storage either within the home or a registered trust that is appropriate for the fire-arms that are registered to the owner. Criteria and UL-type certifications could be easily implemnted.

4. A national fire-arms sales database should be created that serves the purpose of tracking and monitoring with the ultimate goal of targeting problematic purchasers (i.e. mentally ill, potential criminal acts, etc).

5. Reinstate a slightly improved and re-named version of the Assault Weapons Ban. It had some serious flaws (strange formula that left lots of loop holes) and unnecessary language and requirements (that created a fulcrum of obfuscation). For example - "collapsible stocks" and barrel threading designs and purpose could be better defined in order to not only simplify but to also clarify the purpose of the ban. This would not only go a long way towards appeasing the gun lobby, it would further educate the public as to what is threatening and why.

The following are a bit more intense and not so palatable but should be put forth as political fodder to make room for the top 5. 

6. Random audits of registered weapons and gun collections based on points systems and flagging much like the tax auditing performed by the IRS.

7. Mandatory registration of all weapons owned by an individual with periodic (annual/semi-annual) re-registration required for all firearms owned (could be done electronically and should be free after any initial state/local/national registration fees are paid), the frequency of re-registration would be based on the owner’s permit level and the amount of guns owned.
     
8. A further clarification and creation of national standards for firearm classifications that clearly differentiates the types and purpose of various firearms to be used in  federal/state licensing procedures: determination of ownership level, number, frequency and purpose of firearms and firearm collections. Terms such as “assault weapons” should be avoided while more clear and widely accepted industry terms such as “military," "sporting," “law-enforcement,” and “self-defense” should be clearly defined and used instead.

This list is supposed to be short and quick to read. The following comments are simply included to demonstrate some reasoned qualifications and to encourage discussion. 
-Public conscience would be greatly assuaged.
-Economic benefit to not only the sporting goods/gun dealer industry but also towards generating tax revenue to covering the cost of the necessary government regulatory commission that would be required. Mandatory gun-classes are not only a good idea (i took one in high school, and so did many of my friends who hunt and let me tell you - i like the idea of my fellow gunmen having at least a modicum of training - I'll leave the accounts for other posts).
-You need a license to pilot cars, motorcycles, trucks and planes (and the really big boats) you should be licensed to own a gun.
-This is the information age. Federal tracking and registration of guns is not only possible but no more expensive or difficult than the registration of any other product such as automobiles or motorcycles. Any legitimate enthusiast should be proud to register a gun - especially if they consider it a "right."
-Please read my previous posting to trace my though process and to get any further explanation of my stance, opinion and a bit of my background with firearms.

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Bring it. Don't take it personal if I don't engage you directly or thank you for support. I'm still debating on how much of that in which I am going to participate.