Own a Assault Weapon? soon the Sheriff will be at your home

[buttslinger]

I get the Washington Post every day, I can read daily the gun situation, issues weighed carefully in order of importance. Because of Newtown on top of other recent shootings, new laws will be passed, and they'll do something, but just some things.

There was a time when rifles could finish an argument, but that time is over.

[trish]

No gun ever finished any argument. Words are forever while guns rust.

[robertlouis]

I've already identified myself as gun owner. However I do believe there are many solutions that would bring gun deaths down considerably, of course it will upset some and make others happy, but it would be at the very least an improvement

First, I'm a realist, and believe that Humans are inherently prone to being violent which is the reason that I don't believe we are going to stop the gang/underworld type of shootings. Criminals will get weapons somehow, theoretically from corrupt foreign country black markets (assuming at that point in the future , ALL guns are banned and confiscated from every single home in the US and gun dealers are shut down)

I don't like using google for these type of subjects, but am I correct in saying that most of the mass campus shootings of the past 5 years have been by teens to mid 20's type of people?

Now some ideas I came up with just from the top of my head (don't believe me because you've seen them before? well perhaps you have, and I'm not denying that they might be similar to other's Ideas, but I promise you I didn't google these )

some Ideas I want to share with you, Please refrain from the "how moronic" comments and contribute a reason as to why it would not work outright , or what could be changed to these ideas)
-Require all gun owners to register their weapons (serial number and weapon type) and have the data added to central database. The local cops here can punch in your license plate and figure out if your car is insured, and what your name is before even asking you , Unless you're in a stolen car or someone else's car. So doing a central database system for guns that is accessible to all law enforcement, gun dealers and other government entities is very do-able. Public availability to this database? Perhaps not, because criminals would know exactly where to get weapons from registered citizens.

-Raise the minimum age for buying weapons to 30 . I'll admit that with teen angst and college years drama , some people of those ages just shouldn't have a weapon available (not saying that older people don't go nuts and shoot people too). I have the belief that People become wiser and more serene as they get older, generally.

- Initiate a psychological/psychiatric evaluation program that is mandatory for anyone turning 18 or less general , anyone wanting to buy a weapon for that matter. They did one of these at my old work place as part of a workplace personality study, and you'd be surprised how many people realistically were found to need counseling. Some employee's answers were evaluated, and interpreted to show signs of depression, dissatisfaction and other issues. When the same employee was asked, they revealed that said conditions were true. Might give insight into perhaps prohibiting sales of firearms to some people with these types of issues.

- Install a sensor/chip type of device on ALL weapons, even retro fitting old weapons in people's possession. Create "boundaries" within cities or areas, that firearms are absolutely forbidden and will raise an alarm, such as schools, banks and other institutions. *I admit guns should only be allowed in gun environments like shooting ranges. Current gps and navigation technology would allow this, it would just be a matter of passing the legislation to require this and then implementing the system. Example school would be able to detect a registered weapon within 2000 yards of the school and sound a buzzer or alarm, like the old "fire drills"

- Require a high technology safe for all weapons , except for ONE weapon designated for home defense (this one is very hard to enforce admittedly unless the door to door principle is implemented) One solution could be , to force us gun owners, to get a permit to shoot,EVERY TIME we want to shoot our weapons. They would be like the ones you are issued when you want to make an addition to your house. Us shooters would have to plan way in advance when we want to schedule a shooting session. Possible killers might get frustrated by this process and calm down and NOT do what they were going to do.

- Anyone under 30 can not discharge any weapon, without the registered serial number owner present. What does this mean? Junior can not tell dad, "dad I'm going to go fire the 44" anymore, without dad having to accompany him.

- Make magazines with serial numbers that also have to be registered, and Limit one magazine for the home defense weapon. When someone tries to buy more magazines, the seller (gun shop) runs the buyer's information through the centralized system, and will know if the person already has a magazine in their possession. Claims of "I need another one because my other one is damaged" would require bringing the other magazine in to the seller's facility, to be registered for destruction, and removal of serial number from buyer's profile. Inserting bullets into the magazine would have to be done on the spot, if anyone actually managed to unload the "home defense pistol" in public.

- for those of us that value the home defense sense of security, Neighborhood watch type of programs should be looked at again. That way if any strange people are in a neighborhood, actions can be taken to PREVENT a crime, including a shooting.

-require gun safety and gun violence teaching at schools. even if it's a 2 hour course per student per year or something like that. Kids would be shown how a gun works, and would be shown statistics of how many people die by guns every year. Demonize guns, so maybe the newer generations don't like guns as much, and us older gun guys eventually die out. There will be less guns in FUTURE generations.

Social factors related to shootings and other violence and deaths that might be worth looking into:
- Punish bullying, internet/real life harrasment, child abuse with stiffer fines and penalties. The reason I bring this up, is because some of the mass shooters, or random shootings are done by people that were being bullied at school/work or in another social scenario. Also perhaps look MORE into the resources available to bullied/harassed/abused children and teens (or of any age). Crisis centers, teaching kids in school that bullying has negative effects and perhaps also show the statistics i.e.how many kids committed suicide or homicide because they were being bullied/harassed/abused.

- Look into Workplace firings/layoffs more deeply. Alot of shooters are disgruntled ex-employees. Perhaps force a temporary confiscation of Laid off people's weapons. They have to prove stable employment to regain their weapons as well as pass the psychological requirement exam. Employers would be required to report terminations to corresponding authority, to escort laid off employees to their homes. Mass layoffs would get tricky though.

-Look way more seriously into unemployed/laid off counseling and psychiatric help programs. It is very STRESSFUL to get laid off, and some people just can't hack it. I was laid off 4 years ago, and our employer just to sign our termination, and we were without a job a minute later. No offer of counseling programs or resources.

- Look into Implementing an even stricter rating (example would be 25+ only 25 year olds and above can play that game or watch that movie) for video games, movies and other media that depict guns shooting a human. Do we really need kids playing a game where your objective is to shoot as many people as you can? Does a 14 year old need to see the new Rambo movie? Or be force fed call of duty every year for 10 years in a row? This is a free speech issue, and Is kind of harsh.

A Possible Scenario for the safe would be:
Let's say , I feel like shooting some targets at a gun range. I schedule an appointment with my local gun range (walk ins would no longer be allowed), gun range gives me code to open my safe. That way kids/teenagers/early 20's dudes don't have access to the code.

Possible Results:
Eventually. lesser gun deaths.

However, patient psycopaths might figure out ways to circumvent all these measures or use other means to kill. That is the nature of humanity.

From the media limits, and the showing informative videos in school, maybe the gun culture will fizzle out and the new generations might not be that interested in them anymore.

I sincerely believe We can do all of these, the technology is there i.e. GPS, home arrest mechanisms are proof that they can monitor when someone leaves a house.

None of this is proposed or suggested to happen over night. It would take perhaps years of legislation, and development of consistent/working technology and commitment from both the citizenry (gunowners and non owners alike) and government (no half-assed sh*t) to make all this work to bring gun deaths down by a huge percentage.

Excellent post, cogently and calmly argued, and a lot in there that most people on the pro-control side could work with. If only more people in the gun lobby could approach the issue openly and constructively there could be some chance of a progressive dialogue. Thank you.

[fivekatz]

Excellent post, cogently and calmly argued, and a lot in there that most people on the pro-control side could work with. If only more people in the gun lobby could approach the issue openly and constructively there could be some chance of a progressive dialogue. Thank you.

I agree and frankly far more than we can hope to expect at this turn of a corner of ignoring the issues surround violence in our society.

At the core of the problem is violence, is anger, is alienation. Guns become an issue because they facilitate radical expressions of violence, anger, isolation and alienation at literal pull of a trigger. And assault weapons amplify those emotions by firing rounds of death in a matter of seconds.

To me the debate today in the US over guns place in society should not be a one time solution to problems that are this deep rooted in our society BUT debate should not be derailed by the fact that there is no way to eliminate all the damage that firearms contribute to.

It is time hopefully that the gun manufactures megaphone (The NRA) not dominate the conversation either through the fear tactics of a supposed prohibition that they know will never happen or the distraction that no solution in an imperfect world is perfect.

It is time in America to take a step back and look at who we are and what we can do and so openly and frankly deal with issues like mental health that we set an example that will inspire other nations rather than our current position which leaves other nation's questioning how can a people so good at their core be so disengaged from the suffering surroundiing them?

[volkov2006]

72 days since Newtown there have been 2262 gun deaths up 44 since yesterday.

If anyone wants me to stop posting the inconvenient truth of the approximate number of murders please let me know.

[volkov2006]

72 days since Newtown there have been 2262 gun deaths up 44 since yesterday.

If anyone wants me to stop posting the inconvenient truth of the approximate number of murders please let me know.

Sorry I meant 73 not 72 days.

[fivekatz]

72 days since Newtown there have been 2262 gun deaths up 44 since yesterday.

If anyone wants me to stop posting the inconvenient truth of the approximate number of murders please let me know.

Actually if the media would pick-up on the daily body count I think NRA could just close-up shop on K Street.

The fact that most days it is other peoples kids, getting killed in other peoples neighborhoods, often poor, often of color has contributed to the environment of just pretending the violence and death aren't there. Long as you don't connect the "murder at City Park, details at 11" with a national body count people can just assume it is a problem but somebody else's .

Keep up the good work!

[volkov2006]

Actually if the media would pick-up on the daily body count I think NRA could just close-up shop on K Street.

The fact that most days it is other peoples kids, getting killed in other peoples neighborhoods, often poor, often of color has contributed to the environment of just pretending the violence and death aren't there. Long as you don't connect the "murder at City Park, details at 11" with a national body count people can just assume it is a problem but somebody else's .

Keep up the good work!

Thank you I will do my best, at least until the something is done to lower this number or stop it from growing period.

[fivekatz]

Thank you I will do my best, at least until the something is done to lower this number or stop it from growing period.

For those living in the States and old enough to remember the media's nightly announcement of how many days the Iranians had held the US hostages... (As we begin our report this evening it is Day 31 in the Hostage Crisis) it had a remarkable effect on public opinion.

Can you imaging if every news broadcast began with and today the death toll from guns has reached XXX in XX day of the year?

[robertlouis]

For those living in the States and old enough to remember the media's nightly announcement of how many days the Iranians had held the US hostages... (As we begin our report this evening it is Day 31 in the Hostage Crisis) it had a remarkable effect on public opinion.

Can you imaging if every news broadcast began with and today the death toll from guns has reached XXX in XX day of the year?

I can - and you know very well which side of the debate I'm on - but would putting up the same stats for tobacco deaths make diehard smokers stop? Unlikely, I'd suggest. And it's essentially the same with the most vociferous and extreme advocates of minimum or preferably no control on guns. Some lobbies and interests simply won't listen regardless of how often you confront them with the facts.