One of my friends made a very excellent point... Nothing changes with our gun regulations for two reasons, basically. 1) One side doesn't WANT to do anything (for various reasons) and 2) The other side wants to do something but knows so little about guns that they're ineffective.
That stuck in my brain....
Another friend of mine, one who really enjoys his many guns (and is what I imagine when I think of the phrase "responsible gun owner") sent me this list of quick ideas HE came up with for some things we could do that would help. His list is very thoughtful, and has some great ideas I hadn't thought of. Because he's a gun owner who responsibly handles and maintains his collection and knows his guns, his ideas are clever and (I think) would save a lot of lives:
72 hour money back waiting period, this will allow a pissed off person doing a compulsive buy to cool down.
All firearms registered in a law enforcement only database that the public does not have any access to, all current firearms would have a 1 year time after that to register the firearm after that caught with it outside of your house or off your property is a $500 fine and loss of the firearm.
Close all gun show loopholes
Make a federal $25 tax to transfer firearms/background checks. Make it so multiple can be done at once which would include inheritance of firearms (they would have 30 days upon coming into possession of the firearms) This must be done at a licensed FFA dealer and make it so all used firearms have to be done this way. This protects both parties.
Mandatory training/carry license to leave the house with a firearm (even more in-depth for a conceal handgun license), no open unless you are law enforcement with a badge and can legally carry on duty, I don't feel safer with your gun on your hip, it's like driving a car, I only trust me behind the wheel so if I see it, it makes me nervous.
If you are under federal investigation for terrorism-related activities you should not be allowed to purchase a firearm until cleared
Hold parents responsible for child's actions, this will force parents to become responsible gun owners and lock them up. I mean you can buy a bio-metric hand safe for under the bed for fast access.
Two years of tax breaks for all gun safety purchases. This will help to satisfy the whats in it for me attitude.
Yearly federal and state firearm buyback programs, you can donate it as a tax write off or get a little cash for it
If you have been convicted of abuse, PTSD or any other mental health issues, you must be cleared by a shrink before you can purchase a firearm.
I myself would add one thing to this list; We need the CDC to study gun violence the same way they studied drunk driving. The information they give us could help us craft regulations that might ACTUALLY save lives.
This post was originally published on Facebook.
[Image by Mitch Barry via Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0]