Quote:
Originally Posted by ernie
Good progress would be made if they simply treated guns like cars:
- You would need to pass written and practical use tests to own a gun
- you would need to regularly get your license renewed
- you would need to be titled and insured (when you sell a car through a dealer or private sale you sign over the title so that person can then license and insure the gun)
- you would be responsible for who and how your gun is being used and suffer economic and legal consequences if you are not (raised insurance rates, license suspensions etc)
- you would research gun deaths and implement easy safety solutions that prevent a lot of harm...i.e. fingerprint grips, responsible storage etc
- you would drive the industry to meet ever more strict public safety standards
Absolutely NONE of that interferes with someone's second amendment rights. Heck, I haven't even said ban this type of gun or this gun mod. You should also do that but the list above would do a lot to help curb things.
"oh but bad guys don't follow the law!". No they don't. But the police sure have a heck of a lot more to go on when you have a proper system in place that can actually be policed.
Then treat them like cigarettes and tax the hell out of gun purchases |
- You would need to pass written and practical use tests to own a gun Already exists in the form of a PAL licence
- you would need to regularly get your license renewed See Above - Already Exists
- you would be responsible for who and how your gun is being used and suffer economic and legal consequences if you are not (raised insurance rates, license suspensions etc) This also is already a thing.
I am subject to tickets/fines/prison depending on the result of my unsafe actions.
I personnally own 3 guns, one for hunting big game, one for hunting small birds, and one for hunting migratory birds. They are tools, pure and simple.
I have two small children who I have taught about gun safety and I trust them to understand that these are dangerous, but useful tools. I keep them double locked (trigger guard, inside of a gun safe). I store ammunition separately and safely.
I don't consider my self a gun nut, or some power hungry savage kiling machine. My opinion, gun laws around safe operation and handling are very important, and I do believe that ownership of assault type rifles needs to stay restricted, but someone that believes that 100% of guns need to be taken away and destroyed is just as extreme as the gun loving, "pry it from my cold dead hands", American.