Another Look at Gun Control

Most people don't object to the ownership of guns by responsible people. The problem is that little or no regulation of guns makes it easy for irresponsible people to get guns too. So what do you do about that? The NRA's only answer to the problem of irresponsible people and guns to to make sure ALL the responsible people have guns too. They feel that very few people will shoot or threaten to shoot anyone for fear of being shot themselves, and those who do shoot will get shot quickly before they do too much damage. 

 

My concerns with this are:  

1. When people get into heated desputes & misunderstandings with each other as they do from time to time, the thought proceess is going shoot the other person before they get their gun out and shoot you.


2. This won't deter mass shootings, as the perpatrators are mentally unbalanced and are usually killed by police or their own weapons anyway, and..


3. There will be more accidental shootings from weapons being stored improperly, or by children getting ahold of them. More guns = more people gettimng shot: simple math.

 

There is another way though: The Second Amendment states: "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." Note the words are "well-regulated" not "unregulated." What if to own a firearm, a person had to

1. Have received firearm safety training from the US Military, a state militia, law enforcement agency, or approved NRA-type gun safety curriculum,


2. Be a member of a military force, law enforcement agency, state/local militia, Military/law enforcement reserves, or carry a valid hunting liscence.


3. Prove that they own an approved gun safe which would make it impossible for children, burglers and other unauthorized parties from gaining access to their weapons.

 

This would be similar to the regulation which exists in countries like Switzerland & Israel where gun ownership is high but gun violance seems to be lower. Despite what the gun people argue, such restrictions are within the Second Amendment, and would allow responsible people who wish to own guns to have them while making it more difficult for irresponsible people, children and criminals to obtain them.