And the emotionally-charged replies of people basically surrendering because they realize they can't win and their points are naively moot comes in. I've seen this elsewhere...where have I seen it...where, where, where-
OH RIGHT. THEISTS.
Fuck's sake, people, don't go stomping off like angry children, sit the hell back down and discuss this with me like grown adults. Grown, non-theistic adults.
To try to encourage this, let me clarify my stance, so we can start from there again.
My arguments about the illegal acquisition of firearms [if you ban them they'll still circulate] is NOT in the realms of stricter regulations. Ryantology put up a "ten gun restrictions" thing in another gun control thread and I'll go ahead and find and post a link to it, as well as my point-by-point "yay/nay and here is why" reply, I thought it was rather well-constructed and reasonable. I am for both gun control, and for gun ownership. I DO want a safe medium. Making it more difficult to purchase, possess, and utilize a firearm overall? A good idea. Guns are dangerous things in the wrong hands. Hell, even in the right hands, if those hands are not prepared and responsible, they can be dangerous things.
So, what would I like to see? Scrutinous background checks that are federally mandated; none of this Texas Lone Star yeehaw cowboy bullshit where you get a gun with every purchase of whiskey. You wanna buy a gun? Then you submit to a criminal history background check. I would even go so far as to suggest a psychological screening so that anyone who is schizophrenic but has a clean background cannot own a firearm, because schizos are, I'm reluctant to admit, more likely to snap later down the line and kill someone. Which would mean I would have a very, very difficult time buying firearms but if it prevents things like this...THEN I would say...go for it, as long as mentally, emotionally healthy, law-abiding individuals don't need to pay an extraneous penalty themselves.
I would also like to see mandatory licensing and registration of firearms and certification of persons owning and possessing firearms. You must take three 2-hour gun safety and maintenance classes and pass a test at the end that includes demonstrating how to properly store, disarm, and safety a firearm to the class instructor in order to become certified. And certification is necessary for any possession of firearms. This certification must be renewed yearly, albeit no need to take the class, only the test and demonstration, unless you fail one or the other in which case you must turn over your firearms to authorities to be held until you pass the test [can be retaken within 24 hours], after which your guns will be returned to you. Also during this re-certification, all registered firearms [and ALL firearms MUST be registered] must be submitted to an inspection...ALL of them. Failure to bring one or more firearms to inspection means an INSTANT loss of license and the confiscation of any registered firearms. Resale of firearms to unlicensed purchasers and/or without evidence of the transaction [no cash sales, there MUST be a paper trail!] is a Class D felony. You can resell firearms to a licensed dealer, as long as you do it with electronic means.
With these measures in place, there's nothing more you can or need to do as far as gun laws; that is the sweet spot between difficulty of possession and the rights of the innocent. Any further in either direction makes the measures either draconian or insufficient.
Meanwhile, a more aggressive pursuit of illegal firearms trades needs to be undertaken. Divert resources from the useless war on drugs [where 82% of the time, resources, and manpower is directed against marijuana] and turn it to the war on illegal firearms. With the stricter measures in place, guns going from legal-to-illegal is far less likely to happen, forcing criminals to bring in illegal guns from outside the border. With the legitimate-use/non-violent-use market completely secured by the regulated, licensed, and certified commercial gun trade, the only purchasers will be in the criminal element, thus depriving the illegal trade of a HUGE chunk of income, making them far less pervasive and far easier to catch and persecute since their customer base will be much, much smaller and more identifiable.
OH RIGHT. THEISTS.
Fuck's sake, people, don't go stomping off like angry children, sit the hell back down and discuss this with me like grown adults. Grown, non-theistic adults.To try to encourage this, let me clarify my stance, so we can start from there again.
My arguments about the illegal acquisition of firearms [if you ban them they'll still circulate] is NOT in the realms of stricter regulations. Ryantology put up a "ten gun restrictions" thing in another gun control thread and I'll go ahead and find and post a link to it, as well as my point-by-point "yay/nay and here is why" reply, I thought it was rather well-constructed and reasonable. I am for both gun control, and for gun ownership. I DO want a safe medium. Making it more difficult to purchase, possess, and utilize a firearm overall? A good idea. Guns are dangerous things in the wrong hands. Hell, even in the right hands, if those hands are not prepared and responsible, they can be dangerous things.
So, what would I like to see? Scrutinous background checks that are federally mandated; none of this Texas Lone Star yeehaw cowboy bullshit where you get a gun with every purchase of whiskey. You wanna buy a gun? Then you submit to a criminal history background check. I would even go so far as to suggest a psychological screening so that anyone who is schizophrenic but has a clean background cannot own a firearm, because schizos are, I'm reluctant to admit, more likely to snap later down the line and kill someone. Which would mean I would have a very, very difficult time buying firearms but if it prevents things like this...THEN I would say...go for it, as long as mentally, emotionally healthy, law-abiding individuals don't need to pay an extraneous penalty themselves.
I would also like to see mandatory licensing and registration of firearms and certification of persons owning and possessing firearms. You must take three 2-hour gun safety and maintenance classes and pass a test at the end that includes demonstrating how to properly store, disarm, and safety a firearm to the class instructor in order to become certified. And certification is necessary for any possession of firearms. This certification must be renewed yearly, albeit no need to take the class, only the test and demonstration, unless you fail one or the other in which case you must turn over your firearms to authorities to be held until you pass the test [can be retaken within 24 hours], after which your guns will be returned to you. Also during this re-certification, all registered firearms [and ALL firearms MUST be registered] must be submitted to an inspection...ALL of them. Failure to bring one or more firearms to inspection means an INSTANT loss of license and the confiscation of any registered firearms. Resale of firearms to unlicensed purchasers and/or without evidence of the transaction [no cash sales, there MUST be a paper trail!] is a Class D felony. You can resell firearms to a licensed dealer, as long as you do it with electronic means.
With these measures in place, there's nothing more you can or need to do as far as gun laws; that is the sweet spot between difficulty of possession and the rights of the innocent. Any further in either direction makes the measures either draconian or insufficient.
Meanwhile, a more aggressive pursuit of illegal firearms trades needs to be undertaken. Divert resources from the useless war on drugs [where 82% of the time, resources, and manpower is directed against marijuana] and turn it to the war on illegal firearms. With the stricter measures in place, guns going from legal-to-illegal is far less likely to happen, forcing criminals to bring in illegal guns from outside the border. With the legitimate-use/non-violent-use market completely secured by the regulated, licensed, and certified commercial gun trade, the only purchasers will be in the criminal element, thus depriving the illegal trade of a HUGE chunk of income, making them far less pervasive and far easier to catch and persecute since their customer base will be much, much smaller and more identifiable.
