Guns, Guns, and More Guns

Equivalency in killing power

The malady of gun violence is especially severe in the USA, where the current interpretation of the second amendment dominates the landscape. The fact that we are now into the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic does not justify senseless and random killing, which seems to occur daily in recent months.

Yes, isolation may aggravate depression, while idleness may take one’s thoughts into darker corners of the mind. However, the straightforward availability of guns makes it so very easy to react impulsively to real or perceived injustices.

Guns also give some people the false notion of power, just like expensive cars give the impression of success, demanding respect (especially in places where money is king). We all know that respect is earned, not commanded, so guns and show-off of wealth do not earn genuine respect.

So why is gun violence so prevalent in the USA? Culture and excessive freedom have a great deal to do with the love for weapons. The early years of the nations may have justified such an affinity for guns. The laws were not in place or were in no way capable of being enforced or upheld. So personal safety and instant justice were widely accepted; “wild-west” mentality.

Since those early years of westward expansion, our society has changed. The laws and their enforcement have been revamped. Many cities and towns have grown with an increase in density, while most external threats within the US have disappeared. Yet, those who like guns as hobbies or a symbol of power (putting aside the criminal elements) insist that the second amendment gives them the right to carry arms, regardless of its initial intent, when our founders framed the amendment.

So, where are we at this juncture when senseless killings are on the rise?

When in 1791, the second amendment came to light, the idea hinged on a musket capable of firing, at best, four rounds per minute. The threat level from unexpected attacks was high, and a well-regulated militia as a means to protect a community, especially from a potentially tyrannical federal government, was on the founders’ mind. As of 2010, we have 23 states with State Defensive Force (SDF-acting as second-tier police to be used for ceremonies, natural disasters, riots, and assisting other states) controlled by the state and not the federal government. The SDF is about as close to the intended self-regulating Militia. In recent years, the SDF has come under scrutiny with demands for enhancing its training (not just attracting wannabe soldiers) and ability to react and coordinate with other state and federal emergency forces.

Some two hundred years later, technology has progressed to a level that, say, one AR-15 has the killing power of 30 muskets, way over anything that the second amendment envisioned. The military, which protects our nation from foreign attacks, needs this killing machine to overcome anticipated adversaries. The AR-15 is not a tool to protect individuals within the US borders (or even hunting). Thus our Congress should buckle down and draft new regulations to limit the killing power that regular citizens can possess.

How do you do that in light of the second amendment? After all, carrying arms does not define what killing power (where it is justified) is unreasonable or excessive for personal safety. Before we try to analyze this issue, let regress into another “freedom” issue.

Driving a car is a universal right for most people, especially in the USA, where great distances necessitate mobility. To operate a vehicle, one needs to be of age, learn how to drive, pass a test, get a license, have insurance, and be periodically tested to make sure one can be a safe driver (for the sake of others). One can purchase any available car, get insurance, and, voila, freedom to move within the USA. If one wants to drive an 18 wheeler, one has to take a new test and get a special license to operate such a big rig. The latter is mainly for commercial use, analogous to the military when talking about high-power weapons.

So Congress needs to revisit this gun issue with some common sense. Likewise, a new set of rules for lobbyists needs to be in place to control the disproportionate power of lobbies like the NRA. A new organization such as (e.g.) Parents for Gun Control (PGN) should be managed professionally and gather funding to counter the NRA. With enough momentum behind an organization such as the PGC, elected officials in Congress will have to weigh their future at the ballot box.

Weapons are no different from cars since a car can be used as a weapon, albeit not as flexible as a gun. Here are some ideas that our lawmakers need to contemplate to curtail the senseless killings.

1. Age limit: With few exceptions, owning a gun, one must be 21 years old. Use of arms in the military may start as early as 18 years of age, but it is well regulated.
2. Learner Permit: The first year for any potentially new gun owner would require to master the use of a gun, after which one would apply for a license. First-time potential owners would practice in a well-managed gun club with a shooting range where the novice gun owner would get sufficient practice to know how to use, manage and store the weapons in its class.
3. License to own a gun: One must take a gun handling and safety regulations course (during the learning phase) before passing a test to obtain a permit. The gun license is renewable every 2–3 years with background investigation to assure that the owner can still use the weapon and has no outstanding severe misuse citations and volatile anger incidents.
4. Weapon management: The states regulate the testing and licensing of approved weapons. State information gets shared with a national database controlled by a non-governmental, apolitical group of citizens. The control agencies are made up of elected officials and rotate every two terms. Each term is two years long.
5. Purchase of weapons: License-carrying individuals can purchase only approved weapons. The purchased weapon can only be picked up one month later, after additional background checks. This month-delay is a cooling-off period to avoid impulsive actions under an unfavorable mental state.
6. Weapon choices: Like cars, licensing should depend on the type of weapon. The state government should divide weapons into classes, some only for citizens, others for law enforcement, and others for military use. Federal law should define these rules.
7. Insurance: All private citizens must carry insurance to cover theft, accidental injury, and weapon misuse. Insurance companies will assess the risk per individual based on age, history, and purpose of use before granting a policy. Insurance is mandatory for purchasing a gun.
8. Gun safety: All gun owners need to pass an additional safety test before getting a license. The weapon must be stored in an approved safe not accessible to any other person in a household who does not possess a permit for the registered gun.
9. Practice ranges: The proper use of a weapon, like any other device, needs practice. A practice range with the ability to enhance one’s skill would be available where safety and variable use scenarios, under a controlled environment, would be open to club members. Members would be able to store their weapons in the safes provided by the club or be able to keep them at home under approved regulations. Use of guns within the club (shooting range) and removing the gun from the club will be monitored and tracked in a state registry.
10. Weapon calibers: Depending on the type of weapon one owns, the nonmilitary user must be restricted to specific caliber ammunition for the class of weapons that one’s license defines.
11. Weapon magazines: Civilian use of weapons must restrict users to small magazines (six to eight bullets), except when used in an approved practice range or a gun club where regulations allow such extra-large magazines.
12. Police restrictions: Regular police officers should carry a pistol with a caliber most suitable for short-distance engagement with stopping power yet with minimal chance of secondary ricocheting. SWAT teams called in for an active shooter would not fall under this rule but rather under military regulations.
13. Private or concealed pistol: Proper permit plus extensive psychological tests apply with caliber and magazine restrictions.
14. Hunting guns: The class of firearms used for hunting may cover different types of weapons and calibers and their special license and safety requirements. No hunter needs an automatic rifle and large-caliber bullets. When such needs arise, a special license (plus hunting permit), background checks, and safety laws will apply. Hunting lions or birds do not fall into the same class of weapons.
15. Used guns sale: Like cars, owners can sell their guns; however, they need to register the transaction and get it approved after a thorough check into its history and the new owner’s credentials. Like credit bureaus that collect data about individuals’ credit history, there will be a safety bureau to track owners’ safety records before any gun trading.
16. Unregistered guns: Need to come under compliance with registration, licensing, and safety provisions. Any unregistered functional firearm, like cars, will be confiscated by the authorities, and the owner will be on the list (database) of restricted owners. The police and judicial system will apply potential fines or prison sentences for violators. Furthermore, unlicensed individuals would not be able to purchase ammunition.
17. Violation of use: Misuse of any registered firearm will automatically revoke one’s license and result in confiscating the weapon. The weapon owner will be on the “Do Not Sell” list for five years. The owner must demonstrate a clean record during the five-year restriction before the data get cleared.
18. Gun shows: Selling guns to hobbyists in an open market would require that all firearms be registered. Sales would be allowed to licensed individuals (within his/her class) with a good safety record. The transaction, like a car, would have to follow procedures and a one-month holding period before the owner can legally own the firearm.
19. Buyback: As the laws go into effect, current owners of any firearm would have the option to turn in their weapons for cash. Another option would be to register them with all of the licensing requirements as per the law.
20. Illegal firearm ownership: Any crime (criminal action using a firearm) carried out with an unregistered weapon will automatically double the user’s sentence (as well as excluding the future right to any firearm) before any other legal action takes place. Non-criminal use of an unregistered firearm will also result in its confiscation plus a penalty covered by the law.
21. Homemade firearm: With today’s 3-D printers and readily available CAD/CAM schematics for making a personal gun, new rules need to come into play. No ammunition can be sold to an owner who does not go through the proper registration process, training, and licensing. If caught with such an unregistered weapon, it will fall under illegal firearm ownership, as stated in item #20 above.
22. Red Flag Laws: Infractions based on threats or violent behavior need to be assessed carefully by independent professionals. If justified, the existing weapon would be confiscated for some TBD time. The assessed individual must also be placed on the “do not sell” list for a new gun. A five-year waiting period should be mandatory, with a clean record throughout, before a name gets deleted from the “do not sell” database.
23. Internet sale of arms or ammunition: This is by far the most challenging area of commerce that deeds tighter control. In fact, the internet is like the wild west of years past. Shipping of mail orders needs to adhere to laws requiring complete identification of the client and unique labels that will require an inspection before any delivery. Any merchants that get around the law will experience the total weight of the law. Firearm internet orders must be part of the national database for reference and tracking purposes. Local law enforcement should be keeping track of any orders that involve firearms or ammunition. The local police should handle red flags before they become real threats to society.

As technology moves forward, other weapons will come to the market. Our lawmakers need to be ahead of the curve by augmenting any existing laws. Solid yet reasonable rules for a firearm are critical in a civilized society, such as ours.

As cities get bigger, the danger of gun ownership (other than gun club use or collectors) becomes more dangerous for others. Killing innocent people is an epidemic that has to end. Laws that allow for responsible gun use are essential to save our society from the slippery slope of chaos and lawlessness.

As serious as they may be for various real and imagined reasons, mental issues are not always the real reasons behind the senseless killing of innocent people. Lawyers love to use mental illness cards, but the real culprit is poor gun control that allows young and unstable people to kill for fun as part of fantasies weaved through the influence of video games, movies, and TV shows. As long as our society glorifies (in the mass media) guns and violence, we will continue to suffer the consequences; insensitivity to the value of life and the alternate reality (influenced by virtual reality) of power and strength over what is right.

If our society is to survive and democracy thrive, we need to regulate some freedoms for society’s betterment. Excessive freedom may become the sword onto which society may fall.

Albert Einstein said, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

GAB