Opinion – Gun Control? How about Gun Education and Licensing Instead?
”A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” American Constitution: 2nd Amendment
Your going to have to bear with me here, what I am going to suggest is not the complete answer, but rather an idea that captures the spirit of the 2nd Amendment and still gives the modicum of control that is being called upon after the events of Sandy Hook Tragedy. What this wont do is cover any details, nor answer all the questions, but really more of a suggestion in a direction that we could take as a nation. What it wont do is stop Bad People doing Bad Things with guns, nothing can stop that, you cannot regulate crazy that is impossible, but it might just give that balance of personal protection and freedom that this amendment was supposed to enshrine.
Look at the start of the Amendment “A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of the a free State” while you could argue that this was written at a time that militia’s were needed and it is outdated because we have a standing army, I believe the answer lies in these words ‘Well-Regulated’ please take the jump to find out my suggestion is…
First off before going any further I have no real love of guns, they are designed really to do one thing and they do it very well. I am from the UK were Gun crime is still a rarity, even if violent knife based crime rates never really change. I don’t see the real everyday use of them in society because I grew up on a society that does not have them around as an everyday object. This doesn’t mean I don’t know how to use them and while I am a lousy shot I can use a bolt-action rifle and can find myself around most revolvers. Anything more complicated than that it would take me time to figure them out and I would not be confident in my ability to use them.
So with that in mind along with the word ‘Well-Regulated’ what I am suggesting is Gun Education & Licensing, a little like a Vehicle Licensing system where you have to demonstrate competence with a Gun Class to own that class of gun. This licensing would lean more towards Gun safety and storage over practical use although demonstration of practical use would be required. What this creates is another safety gap, a chance to weed out some of those nutjobs because they would have to train to get certified on that weapon type. I also believe doing this would lead to greater responsibility and from what I’ve observed of Gun Enthusiasts they would be all over a system that gives them certifications in their favorite firearms. I also believe that all this could be handled at a private level, maybe directly via Gun stores or even by the NRA (so they can actually do something more than just be high pressure lobbyists and run rallies) which would in turn create more jobs. This I feel captures the spirit of the 2nd Amendment keeping with the theme of a Well-Regulated Militia and the right to keep and bear arms.
There are arguments to make that this is one step closer to turning gun ownership into a privilege over a right, and taking way a freedom, but this is a compromise that straddles the line between the two. You have to think of the advantages to the system, one being a greater chance to open carry, or opening up more firearm types. Plus if you’re a Gun Enthusiasts your hobby becomes something much more it becomes a vocation – I mean it would be pretty cool to have a certification saying you’ve been checked out on your gun.
This is not a solution, just a suggestion… It certainly does not take your guns away from you and if done right would put more guns in your hands. It certainly feels more practical than saying arm every Teacher in a classroom… So play with it in your heads for a while it might actually grow on you…
