My ideas for sensible gun control [View all]

[Union Scribe]

I've read many of my fellow DUers' posts proposing solutions. I've considered them, and thought about it, and I have a list of measures I think would make a difference and that can keep society safer while not stigmatizing responsible gun ownership. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. End private sales. This is the "gun show loophole." All firearms sales must go through federally licensed dealers, and those FFLs' books need to be monitored better to avoid abuse. This isn't an unfair burden on anyone, as FFLs are everywhere and they charge only a little to process sales.

2. Require secure storage. A receipt or other proof of a locking storage space must be presented to take possession of a firearm. If a firearm is stolen and used in a crime, an owner would be subject to criminal charges if shown to not have stored the firearm properly. (There are plenty of inexpensive ways to lock up a gun that can still allow for access in case of break-in or whatever.)

3. States MUST do a better job at reporting disqualified individuals to the national database that sellers use to determine a firearm buyer's eligibility. After Virginia Tech we found out that a lot of states were majorly slacking in this area.

4. Insurance. Firearm owners should have insurance to cover any damage resulting from the firearm. Like I told another poster recently, I don't think this will stop murderers necessarily, but I agree it might help bolster the sense of responsibility.

5. "Accidents". True accidents are fairly rare with guns, you generally have to pull the trigger to make it go off. So when Uncle Cletus blows a toe off showing off his pistol, that's not an accident, it's a crime and the penalty should include a forfeiture of their guns for a period of time (or permanently, at the discretion of a judge depending on the severity of the incident) and they'd also have to go through another licensing course.

6. Licensing. People would take a standardized course that both educates about safety and imbues the heavy responsibility of being a gun owner. After passing this and demonstrating competency they get a license to purchase.

7. Magazines. Semi-auto pistols should be limited to their natural capacity (no extended mags) and semi-auto rifles should be limited to five rounds for civilians. That doesn't take away from fun at the range or from hunting, but it would dramatically reduce their usefulness in mass shootings. This will be harder and arguably less effective than other measures because there are already millions of magazines out there.

I think they're fair to everyone.