Over the past days and weeks, I’ve beat the drums loudly (and sometimes not so politely) for gun control. I’ve attempted to debunk the nihilistic rhetoric of the NRA and the gun nuts they represent. I’ve debated the “more guns = more safety and security” crowd in the comments. I’ve discussed at great length what I’m against and why I oppose it. What I’m not certain I’ve done is to delineate and clarify exactly what it is I’m agitating FOR. So, in an attempt to provide the gun nuts with yet more ammunition (pun intended) to use against me, I want to talk about what I want to see happen.
More than anything, I’m tired of having to deal with mass murder committed by deranged people using assault weapons. I’m tired of weapons that should by all rights be available only to law enforcement and the military being used to slaughter innocent civilians. So, while I recognize that there’s no “perfect” solution, I strongly believe that there are reasonable and rational steps that must be taken. To wit:
Background checks must be rigorous and meaningful. Our current system, with its loopholes and outdated information, is a joke. In order to protect the innocent, we MUST have a system that successful weeds out those we don’t want to allow access to guns. CLOSE the loopholes. UPDATE information frequently and in a meaningful fashion.
There is NO reason- none- why a civilian needs an assault rifle. An AR-15, AK-47, Bushmaster, or similar weapons, are not used for hunting. They have no sporting use…so why are they so readily available and easy to obtain? One of my brothers has a Chinese-made AK-47 that he keeps in a closet near his front door. As much as I love my brother, I can think of no reason why, even as an ex-Marine, he should be allowed to possess an assault rifle. Beau Biden, Delaware’s Attorney General, argued that these weapons, even when available to him in his military capacity, are rightfully stored under lock and key in an armory. If the military and law enforcement keep their weapons under tight control, why are civilians allowed virtually unfettered access? This must change immediately.
High-capacity magazines (and by “high-capacity,” I mean capable of holding more than 10 rounds) should be banned. No one needs a 30-round magazine…unless their intent is to kill people. James Holmes had a 100-round magazine when he walked into the theater in Aurora, CO, and opened fire. High-capacity magazines have but one purpose: to facilitate the efficient slaughter of human beings.
Felons, the mentally ill, and those convicted of stalking and/or domestic violence should prohibited from owning firearms. This- to me, at least- seems pretty self-explanatory.
Concealed carry permits should be difficult- if not well-nigh impossible- to obtain. There’s no reason that a civilian should be allowed to carry a concealed weapon into a grocery store, movie theater, mall, or other public gathering places. The potential for mayhem and collateral damage is simply too high. People who are not trained to the same standards as law enforcement and the military should not be allowed to carry a concealed weapon. Period.
Hollow point and full metal jacket rounds should not be available to civilians. These types of rounds have but one purpose- to inflict maximum damage on a human body. There’s no compelling reason to be made for allowing civilians to possess hollow points or full metal jacket rounds.
Congress must end the hypocritical restrictions on gun violence research, data collection, and sharing. We cannot hope to fully understand the impact of gun violence until Congress (at the bidding of the NRA) stops meddling in and restricting research. The NRA, evidently afraid of what might happen if Americans learn the truth, has actively lobbied Congress to stymie research on gun violence. This is unconscionable and it needs to stop.
Vigorously enforce current gun laws. The NRA has used its considerable influence to water down enforcement of gun laws currently on the books. This needs to stop. NOW.
In a perfect (or even reasonable) world, I’d include updating and/or eliminating the 2nd Amendment. Promulgated in a world where personal protection was a very real necessity, the 2nd Amendment made sense in 1789. It makes no sense in 2013. England effectively banned the possession of handguns after the Dunblane school massacre in 1996. Last year, 68 people were killed by guns in the UK- roughly the same number who die from guns violence in the US…in TWO DAYS.
I realize, of course, that my desire to repeal the 2nd Amendment is a pipe dream. It’s not going to happen. The gun culture is too deeply embedded in the American ethos and experience to make eliminating guns even a remote possibility. That said, I’ll settle for rational, common sense gun control. The eight items I’ve outlined are a good start. They won’t solve the problem, but they’ll certain get this country to a much better and much safer place.
So, there you have it. Take your best shot (again, pun intended)…but you’re not going to convince me that responding to gun violence with more guns is the answer. Turning America into a free-fire zone will solve nothing…unless you consider even more gun deaths as a “solution.”
