I think Jay’s argument is that those arguing for anything approaching a ban on guns don’t account for the fact that so many of the killings will still happen. And I think that’s right.
We can’t stop all the killings, so let’s not try to stop any of the killings.
Sounds great.
Everyone knows my position, so I’m going to stay out of it this time before the anger overtakes my ability to post civilly, but I’m quoting this because this is how all of the “pro-gun” arguments sound to me.
I actually don’t know your position and would appreciate a discussion that presents your thoughts on things rationally, especially since you’re a gun owner.
Alright, I’ll summarize.
It’s staggeringly easy for someone to get a gun in this country (or at least, it is in Indiana). It’s harder to get a driver’s license. For a lifetime license in Indiana, I was fingerprinted and supposedly given a background check, and lightly scolded that my driver’s license had an outdated address and was told to fix it, but that’s it. And in Indiana, a gun license and concealed carry permit are one and the same. I never had to take any kind of classes on gun safety, was never given any kind of test to prove I knew how to use a gun, didn’t have to provide any kind of evidence that I had somewhere to properly store my gun where it wasn’t accessible to kids or other unauthorized people - nothing like that. I didn’t even have to register my gun with anyone because it was a gift, so if I use it to kill someone tomorrow, there’s literally nothing to tie the murder weapon to me.
Here are the steps I think need to happen:
- Everyone applying for a gun license should be required to take a class on the safe handling and use of firearms, with hands-on training.
- Everyone applying for a gun license should be required to take a standardized test to prove that the information taught in the class was adequate, and retained by the applicant.
- Everyone applying for a gun license should have some sort of mental health screening.
- Everyone applying for a gun license should have to provide proof that they have a secure place to store it when not in use, such as a combination or key locked safe.
- Everyone should be required to register every weapon they own with the state, tied to their license, including serial number and a ballistics sample, and any guns that are given or received as gifts should be required to have their registration transferred to the new owner, just like a car.
That’s just for licensing. As for sales:
- Fully automatic guns should be outright banned (which they are).
- Anything that allows for the conversion of a semi-automatic gun to a fully-automatic gun, or for otherwise increasing the rate of fire through external attachments, should be outright banned. (Last I knew, in Indiana you can buy a full-auto conversion kit, you just aren’t legally allowed to install it. That’s fucking dumb.) This includes “burst” fire.
- Anything classified as an assault rifle should be banned outright.
- Semi-automatic shotguns should be banned outright.
- Semi-automatic rifles should have the same waiting period that handguns do.
- In fact, the only guns that should have no waiting period are bolt-action rifles designed for hunting, and that’s really just me throwing the pro-gun lobby a bone.
- High-capacity magazines should be banned outright.
- There should be a limit on volume of ammunition able to be purchased by any one person.
That’s all I can think of at the moment.
TL;DR - Guns don’t need to be banned entirely, but pretty much every aspect of their sale and licensing needs to be overhauled and tightened considerably, at the federal level.
I have yet to hear a single argument against any of this that doesn’t sound like “But mah gunz!” to me.