I am disappointed that I am again having to blog about gun control in America. I last blogged about this in September when police shot nine people on the streets of New York. But following the terrible tragedy at Newtown, Connecticut, I agree with President Obama, that something now has to be done, and in my opinion this is it:
- Close all gun shops immediately.
- Introduce immediately a total ban on gun ownership, with the following exceptions:
- Farmers / Landowners. If they need to own guns for pest control etc., then they will be licensed to own a shotgun. They must keep them locked up in a secure cabinets on their premises, but not in living rooms or bedrooms.
- NRA members / Gun club members. Ownership, again by licence, of hand guns, shotguns and rifles will be allowed, but only for target shooting at licensed gun clubs. The guns MUST be kept locked up in secure cabinets on the premises of the gun clubs. Responsibility for their safe keeping will be given to the gun shop owners who have just lost their livelihood. They know more about safe storage of guns than everyone else anyway. Guns will not be allowed to be removed from the gun clubs.
- Nobody will be allowed to own or use assault weapons, semi automatic or automatic weapons of any sort.
- An amnesty period of up to, say, three months will be allowed for all assault weapons, semi automatic and automatic weapons to be handed in to police for destruction.
- An amnesty period of up to, say, six months will be allowed for all hand guns to be handed in to police for destruction.
- After that it will be illegal to own a gun and / or to keep one at home.
Those who argue that they need to own a gun to protect themselves from others will be wrong, if the other guy hasn’t got a gun, you don’t need one either.
Those who argue that this is an infringement of their right to bear arms, as set out in the second amendment to the US constitution, should consider this:
The second amendment was written by a few immigrants 200 years ago, and it was not about being armed to protect yourself, it was about arming a militia if one was needed. It no longer is, you have an armed police force. The second amendment is totally out of date and has no relevance to today. In any case, the founding fathers did not intend it to mean that people could take automatic weapons to a school and slaughter young children.
Americans currently have the right to bear arms. They also have the right to watch their children grown into adults. I know which of those two rights I’d prefer to give up. Please think about it.