What Does Common Sense Gun Control Change Look Like?

There a number of things that would help prevent mass shootings similar to those repeatedly experienced in the United States. And no, nothing will eliminate all gun violence, but something needs to be done to make Americans feel safer in public places…not just schools.

First, comprehensive background checks of all buyers in all sales. There is no reason that this isn’t already the law of the land.

Second, waiting periods between gun purchase and taking possession of a weapon. The minimum should be 48 hours but I see no reason that it couldn’t be 72 hours. This isn’t going to cause any harm to a ‘law abiding gun owner’. For what guns cost nowadays, no hunter or sportsman is going to purchase a gun as an impulse buy.

Third, ban bump stocks (and every other accessory) that allows semi-automatic weapons to act like automatic weapons. There’s already a law controlling the ownership of fully automatic weapons. It shouldn’t be circumvented by tricks and accessories. And after the Las Vegas shootings last fall, a significant majority of Americans support this legislation.

Fourth, ban high capacity magazines. Hunters and sportsmen don’t need them and aren’t even likely using them. Their only real world use is killing as many people as possible as quickly as possible without reloading. Many discussions have suggested limiting magazines to 10 shots…I would think 6 is sufficient.

Fifth, ban semi-automatic weapons that are based on military specifications. Again they have very little utility in hunting and none in target shooting. Rip a deer up with a few rounds from an AR-15 and you’ve probably ruined a fair amount of meat. I realize that hunting rifles are semi-automatic. But few are designed to hold more than a hand full of rounds of a totally different caliber than military style rifles). A true hunting rifle is intended to drop your quarry after you’ve identified it and targeted a lethal target on your prey. An AR-15 is designed to spray bullets at targets partially seen and do maximum damage to even peripheral body parts by tumbling and creating huge areas of damage to flesh, muscle and bone. For killing people, not game. There is not a game animal in the world that would require an AR-15 or like rifle for a hunter to be successful.

None of these suggestions revoke the 2nd Amendment. That amendment already has limits. Civilians are already prevented from owning military weapons…I am just suggesting we identify these other items in the third, fourth, and fifth position as military items too and add them to the ban. I am not suggesting we ban hunting rifles or shotguns or target guns or guns used for skeet or trap shooting.

And for those who say we are punishing law abiding gun owners…my repeated mantra on that has been…they are law abiding gun owners until they aren’t…and then it’s too late (i.e Parkland and Las Vegas).

We aren’t going to see any meaningful changes on gun laws in this country before the elections in November of 2018. So before you vote, make sure you understand the candidate’s position on gun control and gun safety…because your life in this case may just depend on it.

Edit March 28 2018 in response to WashCoRepub:
thanks for asking me to clarify my position. I wrote this in my head over a period of a week and when I do that I often leave out something or forget something when writing it up. I need to start making notes. Ban: in this case I am thinking it is an immediate ban on sales of the guns and ammunition. Take them off the shelves the minute the bill is signed. Provide a fund to buy back any guns and ammunition that owners want to surrender immediately. I would like to buy them all back but that’s probably a non-starter. So grandfather in current owners…they sell them back to the government when they are ready to dispose of them. Not doing so is a felony. Letting anyone else use them is a felony. And I would put a sunset date on ownership. Ten more years after passage of the law? Twelve?

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5 thoughts on “What Does Common Sense Gun Control Change Look Like?

  1. Fact is that the reason we have the 2nd amendment is not for hunting but for self defense and to stop tyrants like in Russia, Hitler, maduro, castro and more.

  2. For clarification of this proposal, I think it would be extremely helpful rather than using the somewhat vague term ‘ban,’ say ‘ban the sale of’ OR ‘ban the sale or possession of.’

    That makes it clear whether this is the proposal to implement the ban of a ‘future sale of’ or ‘confiscation of existing under force of law.’

    I agree these are important issues that need to be discussed, but only when both sides can be clear with their intentions.

    1. see comments added to original post. thanks for asking for the clarification.

  3. There is absolutely no reason why students shouldn’t protest the murder of their friends and fellow students by marching and otherwise demonstrating. These kids are doing something that we adults have neglected for years and
    that is have enough gun control that:

    a) Background checks must be completed by the seller about the purchaser of any gun at stores or shows.
    b) Diagnosed psychos can’t buy guns at all,
    c) Underage kids can’t buy guns at all,
    d) Government institutes a “buy back and destroy” program similar to Australia that goes into effect for all military weapons…and DOES NOT INCLUDE any non-military-type weapons. There will not be, and there must not be any threat from our government (there never was and as a practical matter there never will be) to take away our normal guns…just those designed for mass murders.
    e) Military-type assault weapons become illegal for Americans to own and cannot be bought or sold anywhere (e.g. stores, gun shows, or even private sales). They become part of the “buy back and destroy” program. It becomes a felony to possess one.
    f) High capacity magazines and bump stocks become illegal to own or possess and must be turned in as part of the “buy back and destroy” program. It becomes a felony to possess either.
     
    Our kids? We should be very proud of them. They will walkout of schools and protest. They will hold the feet of Congress and Presidents and state legislators to the fire. They will single out for political defeat any politicians who value money from the NRA over the lives of America’s children. It is their right and they see it as the obligation of their generation to do so. They are being murdered by the dozens on an almost weekly basis. School systems had better get used to student walkouts protesting the NRA and our do-nothing Legislators.

    Our young people are about to do what we adults should have done decades ago. 

    And mark this: These students will be voting, hopefully in droves, in the 2018 election and even more in the election of 2020. This is their time. It is not our time anymore. Our generation’s time is up.

  4. Thanks so much for the clarification and enhancement of your original post, that is very helpful.

    I do wonder if the ex-Supreme Court justice was focusing on the 2nd Amendment for a good reason: It would then be immune from the left-right swings of Congress and the Presidency. What happens if several years after millions and millions (maybe even billions) is spent doing the buyback, the political winds blow the other way, and they’re legalized once again? Similar to how the previous assault weapons ban was allowed to expire.

    I may not agree with the protesting students, but I will defend to the end their right to do so. It makes this (still) a great country.

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