Updated Gun Control Suggestion

Violence and mental health are certainly issues that must be addressed. But while guns do not cause violence, they enable an escalation resulting in a much more dangerous environment.

There are several facts that cannot be ignored when trying to find a solution to specifically firearms violence.

Availability – An incredible number of firearms are already available (in the hands of citizens). Even if all gun owners had already passed stringent background tests, even if no new weapons of any type were manufactured or sold, the incredible size of the arsenal in private hands today already assures gun violence for generations to come.

The NRA – The NRA is a powerful political force in American governance that is not likely to decline in the foreseeable future. The stance of the NRA has been getting more and more extreme and currently embraces the concept that government should have no laws limiting the citizen’s right to bear arms.

To meaningfully affect the level of gun violence in the U.S we need to reconcile these two facts – dramatically reduce gun availability while satisfying the NRA and its adherents.

I would propose eliminating virtually all restrictions on gun ownership. I would place a sweeping restriction on gun storage. I would propose that, with certain exceptions, all firearms must be stored at a privately run, government licensed facility. I believe that the government should partner with the NRA to establish such facilities (possibly as franchises) throughout the nation. In addition to storage, these facilities would provide firing ranges, training, ammunition and anything else that the gun enthusiast community desires.

Removing a weapon from the facility would be allowed under certain defined circumstances:

Hunting – The NRA, the government, and the various hunting associations would determine which weapons are appropriate for hunting which game. During hunting season, an owner of such a weapon could withdraw the weapon, together with an appropriate quantity of ammunition (not to exceed 5 times the number of game which can legally be shot) for the duration of the season or for a defined period of time.

Protection of Home or Place of Work – Every household would have the right to keep one weapon at home with up to five rounds of ammunition. These weapons would not be used for practice, target, shooting, hunting, or any other purpose other than to afford protection in case of intrusion to the home. These weapons, along with their ammunition must be stored in a fixed locker which will be provided and installed by the local gun facility. These lockers will be equipped with phone capability such that opening the box automatically calls 911 on a speaker phone. The 911 operator will be able to dispatch the police as well as provide advice and assistance to the homeowner. Workplaces would be similar with the number of weapons to be determined by the size and type of workplace.

Competition – The facilities will provide training ranges for all types of weapons and purposes. Competition weapons may be withdrawn from the facility for the period of the specific competition and with the appropriate quantity of ammunition.

Protection against tyranny – While it is generally agreed that the chances of the U.S. government being overthrown is very unlikely and that armed resistance to a government sponsored tyranny would probably be futile, The NRA could allow the release of all weapons in the case of an overthrow of the democratically elected government. The conditions and procedures for this unlikely event would be established in advance in full detail.

Records – The NRA (or whatever organization maintains the weapons facilities) will keep records of gun ownership as well as which weapons have been released, for how long, and to where. These records will be made expeditiously available to the government either when 911 calls are made or when a request is made by law enforcement.

Gun Sales – When a weapon is sold it must be delivered to the weapon facility of the purchasers’ choice, not to the purchaser directly. The need for or the extent of background checks will be determined between the government and the NRA and carried out by the weapons facilities.

Existing Weapons – Every gun owner will have the opportunity to:
1) Turn in their weapons for destruction and receive a tax credit
2) Bring their weapon(s) to a storage facility
3) Collectables and souvenir weapons may be kept at home if they are irrevocably disabled.

Failure to comply with one of the three options would entail severe penalties.

This proposal does not specifically address the issue of farms and ranches but provides a direction for those weapons as well.