A free market solution to the problem of gun violence [View all]

[Trekologer]

Gun advocates like to say that guns don't kill people. I suppose that is technically true; guns by themselves don't kill people. But guns are used by people to kill other people. Here's a free market solution that no Republican could argue with: require owners of guns to purchase liability insurance policies for any injury caused by the gun.

The invisible hand of the free market would reduce gun violence. Insurance companies don't like to pay out claims so they will be reluctant to sell policies to the type of mentally imbalanced individuals who might be more likely to commit gun violence, and price them accordingly. The insurance companies would also be careful to check the backgrounds of those who seek the gun insurance, require owners to keep the guns secure, and ensure that guns aren't in households with imbalanced individuals. Those who shouldn't be in the possession of guns would simply be priced out of it.