just:words

Backdrop: Parkland high school shooting, yet another in 2018, in a long string of school shootings for the past couple decades, except this time the kids are fighting mad.  Millions of articles about gun control, gun rights, mental health, white terrorism, the loss of the American male, and more.

I have a simple proposal for guns in America.

1. Guns are tools. They aren’t moral objects, nor should we fear them. However, we should be clear about their primary goal as a tool: to kill.  I’m not against hunting (for food or for reasonable sport), nor am I a pacifist. I was raised around guns, learned to shoot at age 5 because we lived in the mountains. I’m still a damn good shot, and I own guns.
2. Guns are tools, but people make (im)moral choices in how to use them. Some people should never be allowed to own a tool whose purpose is death, because the person cannot be entrusted with that power. I’d prefer that the determination for who can/shouldn’t own a firearm be placed in the hands of a group: law enforcement (background checks), legislators (gun restrictions, policies, and laws), and health professionals (mental health checks).
3. Many tools in our world are regulated. The more powerful the tool, the more responsibility on the user – and thus, the greater the oversight.  When there were only a few million cars on the road, nobody cared if a 14 year old was joyriding in a Model T on a back road somewhere.   But as the car grew up and became a larger factor in the lives of Americans, so did the laws surrounding it.   Likewise, firearms in America ARE currently regulated. We aren’t talking about banning all guns or allowing people to own whatever the hell they want. (Well, I certainly am not, and I’m not going to vote for anyone who holds either of those impractical positions.)
4. We don’t have good statistical information on gun deaths because Congress has banned the CDC from tracking the data or studying it. This is remarkably partisan and foolish, and I would like to see this regulation repealed IMMEDIATELY.  Refusing to collect data and publish it is cowardice.
5. In my opinion, the swath of school shootings suggests that the regulations in play are not sufficient for keeping the most dangerous weapons out of the hands of people who should not access them.  You can fight me on this; at some point, it’s a judgment call, and I think the uptick in large-scale gun deaths works against your argument.
6. Congress should limit the sale and ownership of guns capable of killing many people in rapid succession. This includes semi-automatic and automatic assault rifles, but is not limited to those.  I would also limit the size of clips or perhaps the amount of rounds that can be purchased by one person within a reasonable time frame, apart from special licenses that require annual renewals.
7. We need to offer incentives for companies to develop mechanisms that tie a handgun to the owner’s biometrics or an electronic key (or whatever) to reduce the number of handguns passed around by criminals, or criminals shooting handgun owners with their own guns.
8. I support a nationwide gun buy-back for any firearm that would go under tighter restriction or ban, as well as ammo buy-backs.  I would allow a 3-5 year transition period, with gun regulations tightening slowly over time.
9. All gun owners should be required to take and pass an 8 hour gun safety course.  If you grew up shooting with a parent or family friend, the class will be a breeze for you. But if you want to own guns yourself or shoot at ranges, you need to be licensed.  Unlicensed owners would be subject to fines and penalties, and people who violate particular laws would lose the right to get licences for gun ownership. I realize that doesn’t keep criminals from owning guns, but it does put additional controls into the hands of prosecutors.

Not about guns, but other factors that we need to address as a society:

• We need to increase access to mental health resources. So many people who would benefit from counseling or therapy cannot get it.
• Toxic masculinity is destroying young men.
• So is rigid schooling driven by assessment (testing) rather than exploration and discovery.  Boys are disproportionately harmed by “sit down and sit still” expectations in school, from kindergarten through college.
• Citizens United was a horrific decision. Dark money has flooded politics. I would ban all political contributions.  OK, that’s unrealistic. Then I would overturn Citizens United, redefine free speech to apply to individuals rather than organizations or corporations, and require that political contributions be public knowledge.  I’d ban political advertising.
• Kill the 24 hour news cycle. It’s destroying us.