We have the equivalent of a Sandy Hook shooting every day in this country. The horrific graphic being maintained by Slate, in conjunction with the @GunDeaths Twitter feed starkly illustrates this tragic reality. The common factor: people getting killed with guns.
Our social contract is broken. We've let an anachronistic understanding of a 220 year old document bolster our need to pretend that we are "safe" 'cause we can kill someone. We can't wish away the estimated 300 million guns in this country, but we can stop pretending that there is "no solution". There is a solution, but the question is - can muster the social and moral will to effect that change. Do we shed tears and rend garments at the repeated loss of life, or do we confront the problem and hold ourselves accountable.
There are two things that move elected officials, money and votes. In 2012, the NRA spent over $17 million on campaigns and lobbying (FEC.gov). Groups that lobby for more restrictions on guns aren't even playing in the same league. Mayors Against Illegal Guns and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence spent $180,000 on their lobbying efforts (OpenSecrets.org). We can help. The Brady Campaign accepts donations, and they are the only organized effort fighting the expansion of our gun culture.
The other part of the equation is votes. Unless politicians feel that this is an issue that will swing votes, they will continue to say the right things in public, and avoid the hard votes when they think we've stopped paying attention. Write to your legislators, state and federal. Ask them to tell you what they are doing right now to work for controlling the spread of guns in our society. When election time rolls around, ask them what they've done. Make it clear that if their answers are not satisfactory, you will be voting for someone else. If this is important to you, you need to make it important to them.
As for the gun owners in America, they are not going away. Our laws, and even our Constitution, protect their abilities to purchase, own, and operate guns. But they need to be made aware of the impact their choices have on our society. The social contract may currently assert that they have the right to own guns, but a contract is a two way street and it comes with responsibilities.
Do you want a gun to feel safe - fine, you need to be tested, licensed, and insured. Do you want a gun to hunt or shoot for sport - fine, the magazine needs to be limited capacity and you need to be tested, licensed, and insured. Your gun and ammunition purchases need to taxed to pay for the social costs of having guns in our society such as police, mental health services, or victim's compensation funds. If you want to own a gun, you must bear the cost that gun ownership places on our society. We can't stop the next madman from killing people, but we can make it a hell of a lot harder for them to kill a score of children and the half dozen valiant heroes who die trying to protect them.
Below is the letter that I plan on sending to my elected representatives:
Dear Elected Representative:
Every day that we don't change our gun laws and culture in America, more people will die. Every day that we don't take action, we bear the responsibility for those deaths. As a constituent, citizen, and parent, I would like to know what you are doing to rein in the spread of guns in our society.
Please be aware that I take this issue seriously, and if you are not working for substantive change on this issue, I will be taking my vote elsewhere next election cycle.
It is time for a change in our country. While we can't legislate away the 2nd Amendment or the Supreme Court's relatively recent broader interpretations, we can work to regulate access and require gun owners to bear the cost of their choice.
Below are the some measures that I would like to see considered:
A ban on civilian ownership of weapons designed for military purpose (aka assault weapons)
A ban on magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds
A testing and licensing regimen that is similar to automobiles: photo ID, repeated testing on safety and storage, tracking and registration of multiple weapons by a single owner
A requirement for gun insurance to be purchased by every gun owner, with claims payable to anyone injured or killed by the purchaser's weapon
A tax of 25-50% on all sales of weapons, ammunition, and accessories with revenues being used to fund police, mental health services, and victim's compensations funds
Thank you for taking the time to consider these options. I hope to hear back from you with some constructive measures that you are working on getting passed.
-Aaron Burr
[Edited to remove a silent "g"]