Politicis: Gun Control

Posted on by Librin Latone

I am pretty far left on most social issues. This is the one exception. I’m not far to the right, but I am definitely more-right than many of my friends (and family).  And everyone I talk to about this will hear me remind them that I think cars are a more dangerous problem which I want addressed first.

My Facebook has been full of posts the past several days. About half of them are “TAKE AWAY THE GUNS!” and half of them are “STOP TRYING TO TAKE MY GUN.”

It is tragic when someone is killed. There is no remedy for that pain. And yes, guns are terrible weapons which can kill many people very quickly, multiplying that pain.

I also know that my friends who own guns are very responsible. They can drone on and on with each other about various lock-box options, why they like the ones they do and which brand(s) are the best for keeping out kids or whoever. They go to their shooting ranges and practice on a regular basis. They giggle over antique guns like a I do over old books. They understand the safety needed to operate this particular hobby without harming others. You’ll generally never know when they have a gun on them (assuming they have a conceal-carry permit) because they don’t need to prove their virility by flaunting it.

I can’t reconcile “take away all the guns” with the talk and actions of my friends. They are good, responsible gun owners who generally (a)enjoy the challenge of accuracy and (b)understand that when seconds count the cops are minutes away…

I DO agree that we have a gun problem. I just don’t think it’s as simple as using words like “all” “always” and “never” – on either side.  There are BAD gun owners out there. Anyone who thinks carrying an AR-15 into Starbucks is appropriate… needs to have their guns taken away until they can start acting like an adult! (or get counseling on how size doesn’t matter…)

Historically, the United States has a violence problem in general, and gun make it easy for people to do massive damage FAST… How do we limit it so that the responsible gun owners can buy, keep, and use their guns while protecting non-gun-owners from the dumb shits who can’t be responsible? (either because of mental health or just being immature jack-asses who feel the need to flaunt) I don’t have an answer. But I don’t think it’s a simple question either.

 

 

Ideas for “gun control”: some of these are in jest – you get to decide which ones I might consider seriously!

  1. Bullets are $5,000 each. If there is a drive-by and there are 6 bullets in someone – they REALLY wanted you dead.  There will also only be 6 bullets because even someone working illegally will pause at a $30,000 bill without guarantee of success…

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  2. All gun owners have to spend 40 hours (one work week’s worth) a year working as a volunteer in an ER. They have to work a minimum of a six-hour shift at a time.

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  3. If you are caught with an illegal gun your dominate hand is cut off. If you are caught twice you are sent to Alaska with a GPS implant in your butt and told to live off the land. Oh, and here’s your gun and twenty bullets.

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  4. We treat every young man (as 99% of mass shootings are perpetrated by young men) wants to buy a gun – mandatory 48 hour waiting period, parental permission, a note from his doctor proving he understands what he’s about to do, a video he has to watch about the effects and wounds from gun violence, an ultrasound wand up his ass (to check his prostate!). Let’s close down all but one gun shop and only run it M-F 10am-4pm in every state so he has to travel hundreds of miles, take time off work, and stay overnight in a strange town to get a gun. Make him walk through a gauntlet of people holding photos of loved ones who were shot to death, people who call him a murderer and beg him not to buy a gun….

    5.  

  5. Include gun classes as part of High school curriculum and require it for every student (minimum of 3 semesters). When they graduate they should be able to fire handguns, rifles, and shot guns; be able to clean and re-assemble these firearms; identify different bullet types; be able to write a 500 word essay on how to store a gun safely in a home;  any non-vegetarian will have shot a cow or pig in the head (why pay people when the labor could be educational!)

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  6. If someone has had a restraining order placed on them because of potential threat of harm they must turn in their guns for a minimum of 90 days or 90 days after the dispute (e.g. divorce) is completed in the court system.

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  7. Extend the length of time for the FBI to respond to background checks (I think it’s like 3 days right now… most BUSINESSES can’t turn something around in 3 days…)

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  8. Empower the A.T.F to do something; you know by having a director who can actually do shhhhtuff.

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  9. Mandate placement of serial numbers on guns such that it takes specialized equipment to get TO the location and then make that equipment ridiculously expensive (except for law enforcement)

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  10. Set up a better communication between various law-based agencies (CIA, FBI, Police, etc.) on mental health records/potential threats (would also speed up that whole background check thing!)

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Published by Librin Latone

Writer, nerd, and perpetual student. I am obsessed with books - both the reading and the making of them. If I won the lottery I would try to have the best private(ish) library in the world. It wouldn't be totally private because the whole purpose of having books is helping other people find a book they will love. I have 2 cats, Genkii (energy) and Kawaii (cutie). I will mention them regularly because they are a daily delight in my life. Granted, sometimes when I'm playing video games they are not so much "delight" as they are "distraction"... but I love them regardless.

1 thought on “Politicis: Gun Control”

  1. Thank you for acknowledging that this is a complex issue without an easy solution. Like you, all of the gun owners I know are responsible, reasonable people, and I certainly wouldn’t want to punish the many for the crimes of the few. But we do clearly have a problem that needs a solution (or several), though I’m inclined to think that gun violence (like most violence) is a SYMPTOM of a larger problem. Maybe if the people who have committed such crimes felt more secure in their own future and the futures of their families; or if they had affordable access to the mental and physical health care that they need; or if they felt like they have a community to which they can contribute and upon which they can depend; or if they had the social benefits they need (education, vacation, healthcare, family leave, etc), they might not have turned a weapon on another person. I’ve heard enough statistics on the number of guns per capita and the percentage of violent crimes involving firearms. I want to hear more about the motivations behind those crimes, for that is where the search for the larger problem should begin.

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