No More Guns

[Brian37]

Well, gun owners have the most compelling interest in seeing out some future where we have sane and thorough policies regarding gun law and it’s enforcement.  

Fantasizing about good guys shooting bad guys is a losers bet.  Hoping that criminals lose gun fights is not a gun policy.  This silly shit is the basis of a case to criminalize possession, if this is the state of gun owning America.  If people have guns with a mind to kill another person - that’s a problem.

^^^^^^^ BINGO.....

Most Americans, including most firearm owners agree that we are not on the right track. 

My approach is simple. Stop assuming when someone buys a firearm with no record at time of buy, that they are incapable of hurting themselves or others at time of purchase. That is not Orwellian thought or presumption of guilt anymore than giving a drivers test to someone looking for a drivers license. 

There are far more criteria for those who apply to become part of the police force and military before we ok someone in those positions. Our civilian requirements to own firearms are a joke by comparison.

True story. I failed out of Air Force basic training. I was too young and had been bullied growing up by the time I went in. I handled the physical training fine, but the mentally being yelled at from 5 am to 10pm every day wore on me. But even outside my personal experience, we had a few days of target practice on a gun range. All of us were warned that they we were being monitored by sentries and if anyone aimed their firearm outside the targets, we'd risk getting shot. 

If anyone reading this would rightfully agree I should not be allowed to own a firearm, you are still stuck with our general laws nationwide. You can't have it both ways. You cant say on the one hand, "I agree, there are certain people who should not have them" then shout "no rules ever". 

I am lucky enough to be self introspective to know I should not own a firearm. Not because I would hurt others, but moreso that I would have a bad day and commit suicide. 

If anyone remembers "Full Metal Jacket"  I identified with the guy who ends up shooting his Drill Sergeant, because he reminded me of all the bullies I grew up with. But in reality, it doesn't matter how misplaced his rage was, it was still wrong. If I had murdered my bullies as a kid and teen, I would have been wrong myself. 

Guns don't solve human problems. Violence does not solve human problems. Both ultimately end up being an expression of frustration, not cooperation. One can understand putting Hitler down. One can understand capturing Ted Bundy. But more guns isn't the solution. It never has been, and never will be.