With yet another mass casualty event in the US, we desperately need gun ownership reform. This can’t go on. Those that are saying this is not the time to discuss it, I cry bullsh*t. Now is actually too late.
Here’s the main problem. The US grew haphazardly. It was a wilderness that had to be “tamed” and you had to protect yourself against animals, both wild and human. Europe was well-established and grown past needing weapons.
We have the Old West where many, though not as many as depicted in movies, carried guns. As far as the maturation of our culture goes, the US is maybe approaching adolescence. As such, many don’t want to grow up and let go of their toys. It’s time to put away childish things. I’ve seen those with their guns stroking them like a stuffed toy.
The 2nd amendment was written because the British were notorious, at that time, for going in and taking weapons from anyone they considered rebellious. Look at what they did to the Scots after Culloden. Th amendment was added to prevent that from happening and to be sure that the state militias, the equivalent of our National Guard system, had weapons to defend themselves.
With that in mind, I have no problem with a person owning a shotgun or two for personal defense and hunting. The ONLY thing a handgun can do is kill people so, IMHO, aren’t needed in the hands of civilians. A rifle certainly can’t be fired by a child. Civilians have no need to have military assault weapons either.
I’d like to see, after the guns are rounded up, the police structured more like they are in Europe, where only certain officers have access to guns and they have to have permission to use them. The Wild West mentality has got to go. Interesting how the police in Great Britain, France and other European countries do just fine without guns. This escalation in the US to militarizing the police is like the arms race between countries. MAD in action. If the police didn’t all have guns, guarantee that would eliminate a lot of the bullies that the police seem to attract instead of officers like the Swedish officers that were on vacation and deescalated a situation. nypost.com/...
For gun collectors, they should have to have a special permit to have anything more than a rifle or two for personal protection. That should include having to have the display under lock and key.
If handguns aren’t allowed, that eliminates the smash and grab of hand guns you see of pawn shops. Long guns should have to be locked up at night and not left on display. There should also be better screening and no guns released until a background check comes back.
It will take some time to get the guns out of circulation, if a law is enacted, but worth the effort. The 2nd amendment talks about having weapons but doesn’t specify what those are. At that time weapons fired one bullet then required reloading...not the ones with a 30 round magazine.
Time and past time, for the US to put away childish things and end this fascination with guns.
