The debate over gun ownership, types of guns and ammo is turning more into a he said she said battle with neither side coming up with a compromise that can see results.
There needs to be both better gun regulation and stricter gun laws for those who decide to commit crimes with firearms.
Why not develop a series of tests and gun safety training that all gun owners must comply with every so many years and every time they purchase a new gun regardless of when their last testing was? Develop certain tests depending on what type of firearms they own or intend to purchase. Even have testing done for purchases of ammo depending on the type that they have to do every time. Yes it can prove to be a hassle for law abiding gun owners, but I think it would be a small inconvenience to give up in order to retain the right to own guns and to show to the doubters that good gun owners are willing to go through the steps to ensure they are held to the highest standard just to purchase and own guns and ammo.
Why not put a ban on private sales of guns, rather set up either a trade in or credit type system supported by the government as a way to help reduce the number of "extra" guns in America or from even being exported to other countries too? Licensed gun dealers could accept used guns as trade in or give customers credit for future purchases, and then in return the government would buy back these used guns and/or maybe give some type of tax breaks or something that benefits the business for entering the program. Another option would be to have a government buy back program for used guns, either have centers where citizens can return their used guns, law enforcement pick up, and so on. The citizens could either be paid a fair market value of the gun, given vouchers for future new gun purchases, or given some sort of tax break.
As far as gun laws go, make it simple and enact real serious tough strict laws for those who decide to use firearms to commit crimes. Make it federal law where every state has to abide by the same laws and consequences, so there are no loop holes for lawyers to get their clients off on technicalities and such. Make it known that we are serious about the laws and if you are convicted you will be seriously punished. I would put it like automatic life no parole sentence for anyone convicted either of killing or shooting someone with a firearm not in self defense. 25 years for anyone convicted of shooting a firearm in the act of a crime. 10 years for anyone who simply brandishes or assaults anyone during the act of a crime. These years also to be served on top of any other convictions and times they face current and former.
The bottom line is both extreme sides need to figure where they can meet in the middle when it comes to guns. Personally I think it is unfair to blame the guns as the problem, I think that is just the typical let's blame someone or something else for our real problems. America has always been a country of gun owners and a high gun ownership rate, yet there once was a time that the type of senseless violence we see with guns was rare and hardly seen. The problem has never been the guns but rather the people both who commit crimes with guns and those who oppose them. We need to learn as individuals to be morally responsible and for each of us to be held accountable for our actions. This not only applies to guns but with our everyday lives as well. Isn't about time Americans learn to set the example and not be the ones laughed at?
This will also help to turn around problematic neighborhoods too and lower the crime rate all across the nation as well. Properly trained law abiding gun owning citizens in conjunction with law enforcement can reclaim these unsafe neighborhoods, turn them around and pave the way for the children and people in them to have more opportunities to succeed and get ahead. They can learn to take pride in their communities, people will not be scared or intimidated anymore, criminals will have less chances of finding safe havens to operate out of. When there is more opportunities there is less chance of people turning to crime.
Will these ideas ever stop someone from going out and committing mass senseless killings? No not at all, but we can at least ensure that the people who do own guns and adhere to the regulations put in place they will surely result in the absolute lowest percentage of people who do commit crimes with firearms. Sure people who were law abiding gun owning citizens from time to time still do commit crimes with firearms, and no matter what you can never eliminate all firearm deaths because even in countries with the strictest laws and lowest crime rates still have gun deaths.
I also think gun manufacturers need to maybe only make guns on a per order basis. No store should ever stock any firearms outside of the display models. I think display models should also have something removed or added that makes it difficult to remove that would disable the guns from actually being able to be used. This way anyone who steals a gun from a store would more than likely not be able to use it. Also stores should be made to have cases that are theft proof and/or have to lock up all firearms and instead of digital displays of the types of guns they sell. When a customer finds a gun they want to look at, the employee would retrieve the gun from a secured case/location so the customer can see it in person. Make it too that even to just look at a gun in person in a store the customer has to provide their identification. Stores need to show that they are willing to also enforce these tough regulations. In the end someone who wants to legally own a gun will just have to accept the way things are.
These are just my thoughts and opinions on the subject
No comments:
Post a Comment