Short diary - more a thought.
The upcoming battle over gun control is going to be the most serious one in probably 20 years. And while the outcome should involve some ban on automatic weapons and / or multi-round clips.
However, there may also be a potential for a private solution as well which involves personal responsibility of gun owners - "gun insurance". In order to own a gun, you would need to buy insurance. And the insurance companies would perform underwriting to determine the appropriate premium. You want a semi-automatic rifle? You pay a higher premium. You have a mentally ill family member? Maybe you're denied insurance altogether. And the insurance company would report to the authorities why you were denied insurance and they could take action (if necessary). You own a gun with no insurance? You pay a fine, perhaps a hefty one (just like auto insurance).
If a weapon "registered" with an insurance company is used to commit a crime, then the insurance company has to compensate for that crime. If people are killed, the compensation is something similar to life insurance (20x salary or something like that).
While it doesn't solve all the problems, it could be a potential step in the right direction.
Thoughts?
