My thoughts on Gun Control…

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25. Response

#1. I would increase the cost of bullets.

Unless you're talking about making ammunition prohibitively expensive, I don't think that's going to do anything except make average people pay more for bullets. It is not going to be a deterrent to someone out to cause mayhem


#2. I would have a strenuous background check and a LONG AS HELL waiting period. If you REALLY want to shoot something you can wait.

I agree with this. I think it is reasonable to increase the scrutiny of background checks. My personal feeling is to have first time purchasers go through the same level of scrutiny that a CCW permit holder might have to go through, which might be good for 5 years. Subsequent purchases would just go through the current level of scrutiny.

I am also not opposed to purchase limits. Some argue that if you qualify for 1 handgun, why not more. My response is that it need not be 1 per month. It could be 2 or 3; but I do see such limits as a means to dissuade straw purchases. It could also simply mean that to purchase more than 1 or 2 you simply apply for a variance for the purchase of more. Most of this would be shall issue, so it shouldn't inconvenience anyone in particular.


#3. Provide more insight into modifications to weapons and find out what the society should have and determine what is best to make it so we can reduce deaths.

This is a complicated issue. There are so many weapons out there. Most of the technology in guns is fairly old (essentially 100 year old designs from a functional standpoint) and are ultimately fairly simple mechanical devices. The only thing I see limiting is magazine capacity, but I think that would have such a marginal impact in crises that I don't see the point of it.


#4. Increase training in gun violence across the board. From little children to high schoolers, to college students as well as suicide awareness and implement more psychology into classrooms making it not as an elective, but more of a thing so kids can help recognize potential warning signs for those who might want to shoot something up.

I think people should be trained about the laws in their state. Everyone should be educated about what the legal issues are surrounding the use and possession of handguns. I don't think proficiency tests are fair-- although I would go for proficiency for safe handling would be testable.


#5. This one is something that was talked about in an earlier thread: Parenting. Parents need to be able to know to LOCK UP their damn guns and ammo. To know that a GUN HAS ONE PURPOSE: TO KILL. It’s not something that you "point" at your friends with or show off because its "cool". It’s a weapon.

You can't legislate or teach common sense. There are a myriad of things in the home that can kill a child. I was just reading about a child that suffocated to death because (s)he tried to climb their dresser in the middle of the night and it fell on them. My wife brought it up. It is a pretty simple thing to strap furniture to the walls so it can't fall over if a kid tries to climb it. But that doesn't mean there is a reasonable way to police or regulate hazards in the home -- including guns.


#6. Make it so when you buy it online it has to be even HARDER than it is to buy it face to face. This was what led to many recent tragedies and at the same time...part of the problem recently is media coverage. That is why instances like this one mentioned is simply a copycat but on a way lower scale.

Buy what online? Guns? You can't just buy a gun online and certainly not across state lines. I'm not sure you can stop private party sales without a registration program--- given the treatment of gun owners in New York (using FOI to publish names and addresses in an online database) I can't really sand by a registration program because I think that flies in the face of peoples' privacy; people who followed the rules, registered with the state, and don't deserve to be called out for following the rules. If you mean ammunition... I suppose that is an issue. I've bought ammunition online on occasion because my local store was out, too expensive, or never carried certain specialty rounds (hunting in my case). I buy most of my ammo at gun shows -- that is the cheapest by far.


People are dying, and have died. But one must be pragmatic and honest about root causes. One must recognize that guns are used for legitimate defense. One must recognize that what might make sense in one region doesn't make senses in other regions.

I don't agree that more guns is the answer, but I think the violence in the street is driven more by economics and the war on drugs than it is the quantity of guns in private hands.

I agree with you that arming teachers is not the answer to anything; they didn't sign up for that and carrying a gun for defense requires a certain mentality that not everyone possess.

Florida has had CCW the longest. It has not degenerated into the wild west. People that carry guns for defense and vet themselves with the state are highly unlikely to break the law (if only because they are concerned about losing their rights because the do something wrong).

My own reasons for having a permit might surprise you. In my state, the laws governing how you may be in possession of a weapon can vary from municipality to municipality. So what is legal in one town might not be legal the next town over if they are anti-gun. It has happened with disconcerting frequency that police officers who didn't know the law have mistreated law-abiding people. However, the CCW permits in my state superseded the laws of municipalities. So if you had a permit you didn't have to worry about a subjective interpretation of a law by a police officer. I got the permit even though I rarely had a weapon on me. I don't need the hassle.