I have always argued hard for the Second Amendment, and up until this point in my life I was all for the ability to own pretty much any kind of a weapon you want. I always believed in the general good of people, that overall people wanted a better life and would do whatever it took to secured that right.
I like most Second Amendment advocates incorrectly ignored the first part of the Second "A well Regulated Militia" instead focusing on the Militia aspect and the Semitics around what it likely meant.
Now I sit and see a country being torn apart by mass shooting after mass shooting enabled by our ridiculous ease in owning firearms, weapons that all owners in one way or another espoused as a way to provide food, safety or security. What security are they bringing us though? While I acknowledge that you most certainly have a right to defend yourself and I am a huge advocate for personal protection, there comes the limit and why I am posting this.
I have the Evil AR-15 among piles of other weapons, but I realize now that maybe it is not something I need in the home, or you for that matter>
I am not saying we need to take htem away completely, but I am saying we need to look abroad and look to see what others have done in regards to their own tragedies as well as our responses.
We can start with our own laws, which often resulted in the famous towns banning firarms completely do to wild Miners and Cowboys coming unhinged. While Hollywood had grossly exaggerated the shoot em up quick draw contests (only one recorded case actually exists) they were indeed a problem. .
Believe it or not today we have more rights to own firearms and more access than ever before in our Nations History, but I digress and lets get on with my blog.
In 1934 to put a stop to rampant gangsters the National Firearms act was passed, which essentially put a tax on certain weapons.
The next big event in this regard would not be until 1986 when Republicans went after "Assault Weapons" with the Firearms Protection act.
THis placed further restrictions on Fully Automatic weapons as well as banned certain types of bullets labeled "cop killer"
Further advancement happened in 1993 and 1994 with the Brady act and the The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act which banned 19 types of weapons and furniture (I am still against that nonsense) It would expire in 2004 which brings us to our current craze.
30 years ago "Assault Weapons" were nearly impossible to find beyond a "Specialized store" and the local Sporting goods store carried weapons which were well considered sporting at the time, that was not so much the "Assault Weapons".
Way back then I was hard pressed to find anyone who owned an Ak or AR or even an SKS for that matter. Weapons we perceived as those used for Hunting were the norm.
In the mid 90s with the panic associated with not being able to own firearms nobody used to care about it began to slowly explode.
Now I would venture to guess nearly every household has some kind of "Assault Weapon" in it and to be fair, most will just gather dust or go make a can dance from time to time.
The problem is not the 99.9 percent of good gun owners, the problem is that one person who fucking snaps and has the ability to kill a dozen people with relative ease. To further this argument the most Recent Shootings in Floria and Vegas were perpetuated by people who purchased said firearms legally. Likely no legislation would have prevented the Vegas shooting and possibly even the Florida shooter, which is why we need to address the weapons them selves.
Nobody alone is going to do that with a knife and you sure as hell are not going to get a car into a school
SO lets sit at the big boy table and talk.
These are my proposals
We do need to strengthen our check system, I see absolutely no reason why each person should not be regulated in his purchase, have to take dozens of hours of firearms shooting and safety classes just to own a firearm. Those classes should also include ethics.
Next we require certain types of Semi Automatic firearms to be stored at a Range, Those weapons cannot leave the range under any circumstances. I am sorry buttercup you do not need that Ar in your closet, you are not going to fight off the US Military and odds are you vote against all your other rights time and time again so shove that notion where the sun does not shine.
All sales of firearms, including private must go through a licensed dealer.
Minimum age of 21 to purchase anything. While I get the "Well I had a weapon at a young age" well so did I. Mind you I used them to shoot feral dogs while protection livestock, I also realize most never will have that need. I also realize that country kids shoot up damned near anything they can. That is a fact, one that most of us end up regretting.
The only weapons allowed in the home should be revolvers of six shots or less with the same requirement for any Semi Auto Weapon that is allowed.
We also have a national Buy Back program to encourage people like myself that no longer give a shit about those goddamn inert objects a safe way to dispose of the weapon, as well as gain back some of our financial losses.
So what about schools?
Well here is the thing, I like to Use Columbine because it applies. They had video Surveillance with an Armed guard on site and a pair of Cops who engaged the students right off, it did nothing. Likely you the tough guy gun owner teacher would not have the mentality to defend yourself, I am not saying you should not have that option, I am saying it takes a different mind set.
If you think you can respond to a firearm pointed at you, I want you to think of what happens when someone points a rubber band at your face, you flinch and do all kinds of crazy things> I am here to say as someone who has stared down the muzzle of more than one weapon it gets worse from there. It also belies the fact that a teacher could snap making it easier to put a hole in a student they dislike, most other students or even themselves. That weapon carrying teacher now gives a student the chance to take that weapon away from the teacher and use it on someone else.
Police undergo training in this regard and carry retention holsters to help prevent this. Both of those along with extended training need to be required, PERIOD!
How do we know any of this will work? well easy, we are not the only other country in the world that allows firearms ownership, but we are the only one that allows nearly unfettered access.
No other country in the entire world save Yemen (where you can purchase firearms with ease as well) has more mass shootings, nobody.
That is a problem my friends.
Children are not target practice, and for that matter neither is any other innocent person.
SO we stop talking and take action now.
Let's make this happen.
No comments:
Post a Comment