Governor Pat Quinn's "Assault Weapons" Ban Defeated (Illinois)

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58. I have often proposed alternate solutions which gun control advocates have largely ignored. ...

I favor:

1) Improving the NICS background check system by requiring the states to more timely input data on those who should not be allowed to own firearms and providing the federal funding to accomplish this task.

2) Requiring the states to also input data to the NICKS background check system on those legally adjudged as having serious and dangerous mental issues that should prohibit their owning firearms.

3) Requiring an NICS background check for all private sales of firearms for a reasonable fee which should be roughly what is charged for an NICS background check ran on a new purchase.

4) Strong law enforcement of existing law and severe penalties for anyone who is caught carrying a firearm illegally or trafficking in the straw purchase of firearms or their smuggling to our inner cities or foreign nations. I favor long sentences for these activities and not light slaps on the wrist.

5) Requiring all high school students to pass a firearm safety course which actually introduces them to the basics of common firearms and how to safely handle them. This course should mention both the good and bad side of firearms. While they are very dangerous tools, firearms can be used by responsible citizens for hunting, target shooting and even for self defense. (In a nation where firearms are present in almost every other house, this only makes sense.)

6) At the completion of a gun safety course the graduate should receive a card which he must present to buy a firearm or ammunition.

7) We should admit that our war on drugs is and been a TOTAL failure and has led to the formation of criminal gangs that often misuse firearms to fight over turf and consequently elevate the level of firearm violence in our nation. We should legalize some drugs and use the taxes generated to provide assistance for those who are addicted.

8) We need to improve our educational system to be better prepared to work in well paying jobs that require a high level of training. We can do this by moving our educational system into the current century and using modern technology to assist teachers to better prepared their students.

Many of these ideas will be opposed by the NRA. Still i feel they are reasonable and have a good chance of being accomplished.

I find it distressing that many of those who favor strong gun control favor the implementation of useless feel good laws such another AWB, banning large capacity magazines or the registration of all firearms with the federal government. Such grand schemes have little or no chance of ever becoming law in the near future or even in a decade or two.

What will probably happen is that those who favor gun control will continue to push for gun bans or other impossible to achieve goals and little headway will be made in finding ways to reduce firearm violence to even lower levels than we have in our nation today. Of course the gun control group has a hard time admitting that the level of firearm violence has dropped to levels last seen in the late 60's according to FBI statistics. (I am willing to admit that despite the fact that while violent crime has decreased in the same time frame that firearm sales have skyrocketed and "shall issue" concealed carry has become the law in many states -- we can do better.)