A logical and reasonable solution to gun violence in America [View All]

[Kelvin Mace]

Yes, I have a solution to propose.

I can tell you right now that the solution is NOT going to make everyone happy. It isn't perfect, but then there is no such thing as a perfect solution. It is, however, a solution that if you bother to actually think about it is the only solution which will actually make a difference in gun violence while preserving the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution. It is not a solution that will work immediately, but it will work in the long run.

Some gun rights folks consider any restriction to their right to own a firearm as unacceptable. They need to grow up.

Some anti-gun folk consider any measure that doesn't ban guns outright as unacceptable. They need to grow up.

People are dying, and it is past time to fix this problem.

Gun owners need to understand that guns ARE the problem, specifically handguns. Anti-gun advocates need to understand that in this day and age of the Imperial Bush Dynasty, the possibility of needing weapons to protect ourself from a tyrannical government is no longer a far-fetched point of view.

So, how do we preserve our right to weapons we may need to protect ourself from a government that feels it is no longer bound by the Constitution, a government that feels it has the right to suspend <i>habeas corpus</i>, to illegally torture people in order to extract confessions, and to spy on its citizens with impunity? At the same time, how do we remove guns that are unquestionably responsible for massive amounts of blood shed every day?

The problem is, of course, handguns. They need to be banned. Sorry this sentence just caused some people to begin shrieking at their computer, but there you are. When the 2nd Amendment was written, the word "arms" realistically meant rifles and shotguns. Pistols existed, but were mostly used for dueling and personal defense for the rich. Of course, pistols of the day weren't too damn useful for either of those tasks, and they damn sure didn't put any food on the table.

I propose that we draft and pass a Sane Firearms Act. The act will ban ALL firearms under thirty inches in length, PERIOD. Only police officers, federal agents and soldiers would be permitted to possess/carry any weapon smaller. The ban would also cover ammunition for such weapons.

A one year grace period would go into effect after the law was passed in which people would be able to turn in such weapons without penalty. People turning in such weapons would be entitled to a tax credit equal to the value of the gun. The tax credit would only be provided during the grace period. Weapons discovered or seized after the grace period would receive no credit.

Automatic weapons would be banned entirely, but semi-automatic weapons would still be permitted, including assault rifles.

After the grace period, anyone found with a banned weapon or ammunition in their possession would be sent to prison for ten years, no parole. In instances where banned firearms or ammunition were found (say, in the attic in grandpa's old footlocker), you would be required to immediately call the police and declare the weapon so it could be surrendered.

Now, will this eliminate all gun violence? No, it won't. But it will cut down on it as the sea of handguns dries up. While rifles, shotguns and assault rifles are certainly dangerous and do their share of killing, the vast majority of murders, assaults, suicides, and accidents involving children involve handguns.

Handguns are easy to conceal so they are they weapon of choice for robbery and murder. People wandering around with an AK-47 and bandoleers of 7.62mm ammo tend to be noticed. The whole "conceal/carry" issue is resolved once and for all. Want to wander the city armed? Well, sling arms, dude.

For those of you foaming at the mouth about a ban on handguns being the first step in a total ban, or being deprived of a means to defend yourself, grow the Hell up!

If the Bush administration or some other government tries for a total ban, I will be up there with you on the barricade, armed to the teeth. As to the best means to defend yourself, if you think a handgun is superior to an assault rifle for self-defense, I'll be happy to trade shots with you at 20 paces. You can have a Desert Eagle, I'll take an AR-15.

Folks, we can keep going the way we are going, or we can take a sane step toward reining in our gun fetish. We can also save some lives.

http://www.thoughtcrimes.org/s9/index.php?/archives/1887-A-logical-and-reasonable-solution-to-gun-violence-in-America.html