ISSUE Gun Control - this could work
The government is not going to take our guns away. It can’t be done. Death, taxes and you can’t get rid of guns.
Banning a brand or type of weapon does not work. We should have learned from the past that making something people want a crime only creates lucrative black markets and new crime. Guns, unlike cars and computers, do not become obsolete. In fact, the older the gun, the more expensive it is likely to be. Humans alive today did not invent the gun. It is part of our lives and is unlikely to disappear. These are just facts. People can be predators; which is why our ancestors in the wild started inventing weapons.
The issue, as I see it, is making sure only sane non-violent people can buy and own guns. Each state and some cities have their own gun laws. The Federal government cannot take that away from the states; and won’t.
All sides agree that terrorists shouldn’t be able to buy guns. But most Americans don’t trust their government to have private lists that you don’t know you are on; without recourse. If we continue to allow our government to have private lists and unnamed informants, then we should allow a system for recourse. Maybe something like giving the Feds 2 to 3 weeks to produce evidence that you should remain on their list thus denying you a gun.
In my state and county, I decided to apply for a carry permit. Not because I wanted to carry my gun in public or pay a tax. I want it concealed as protection. I was finger printed and photographed and my application was sent to the FBI and Homeland Security for red flags. All good, I got my license and renew it every 4 years. The whole process (less the legal stuff) reminded me of getting both my learner’s and driver’s permits as a teen.
Today I own a car. I have a tag and pay a license fee yearly. I have insurance. I was trained to drive and have taken defensive courses just recently. My eye site is checked when I renew my license; which probably should be done more often the older you get.
Cars don’t kill people, people kill people. Why can’t weapons be registered in a similar fashion? Gun ownership should come with mandatory training, gun registration and registration transfers for sales which could be taxed.
A one-time tax credit could be allowed for people who would be willing to add all their other weapons to the database. I see a whole industry here for the NRA; kind of like the PGA pros who teach golf and database programmers.
Each state could issue these licenses and track each weapon by individual ownership and serial number. I like headshot pictures on an official laminated card. The Federal government’s job would be to provide a common database for all the states to submit to and research from.
So what do we get? Gun ownership. A taxing system to pay for the databases; no more paper trails.
The past is the past and we are not going to get rid of guns. Let’s move forward with something more sensible. When a gun is used in crime we should be able to answer these questions. Who owns that gun? How did that gun get in the hands of the user? Who is responsible?
No more banning of weapons. Well, maybe grenade launchers and missiles. Come on America. It’s not the 18th Century anymore. If Jefferson and Washington had an iPhones . . . I’m just saying.