The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age

    Gunsanity to Gun Sanity: What does a responsible, law-abiding gun owner look like?

    By erica20 on Thu, 12/20/2012 - 11:27am |

     

    The more I think about this, the more I believe that getting caught up in a discussion of which types of weapons to ban will delay Gun Sanity and  prolong the Gunsanity which now exists in the USA. As Ol' Joe Biden puts together his recommendations, he should focus on the real responsibilities of so-called "law abiding gun owners" and speak very directly and frankly to the group.
     
    Gun owners have needed to put an end to the Gunsanity for some time. And since they haven't done it, it's time for the rest of us to make some changes to how they do things. As A-man points out, there are now 10 states in which more people die in front of a gun than behind the wheel of an automobile. Do so-called "responsible gun owners" think those guns just fell down from the sky and into the arms of people who couldn't use them appropriately?
     
    Here is what I believe Joe needs to say.
     
    You folks want your guns, for sport, self defense, and for the sacred purpose of protecting the Constitution because the rest of us dummies just don't get it. Fine. So let's talk about two of your favorite subjects, law-abiding behavior and personal responsibility, and how you're going to deal with your guns. "Basic constitutional rights" will no longer permit so-called "responsible owners" to sell, use or store guns in ways that endanger our citizens, especially kids, between now and that mystical moment when we'll need you to protect us from a mass killer or our own government. Lazy owners, merchants and parents who hide behind the Second Amendment need to know that the behavior of people who let people kill people with guns will no longer be tolerated. You guys, as a group, are a mess. Somehow, an awful lot of you ended up either selling, using or allowing somebody to use a gun to threaten, hurt or kill somebody--in some cases, more than one person. And that isn't about the guns, it's about so-called responsible owners and sellers, fair and square. 
     
    We've told you as a group to pull it together, over and over, and you've told us to take a hike. Over and over, all you "responsible gun owners" have denied responsibility for everything that happens with guns that passed through your hands. So now that something so awful that none of us can stand it any more has happened, we're going to pull it together FOR you, in the memory of the twenty beautiful children who died on December 14, 2012. We are going to put together a set of simple best practices, called the Newtown Rules. Some of them are so fucking obvious that it's embarrassing to have to write them into law. But we are going to do it anyway, and if you want to have any say in how it comes out, you better stop whining about YOUR rights and focus in right quick on your responsibilities.
     
    Like many others, I wish we didn't have to talk about this.  But the very preciousness of the beautiful children those devastated Newtown parents have lost, and the children that the rest of us, by whatever grace exists in the universe, still have, inspires us to purposeful, patient and reasonable action in pursuit of a nation that is safer for our children. We hoped that you "responsible gun owners" would live up to your name, and in that hope, we failed to protect those twenty. We will not fail again. The Newtown Rules are going to happen, and gun owners WILL follow them.
     
    ***
     
    Joe, having lost a child himself, is perfectly positioned to say this stuff.
     
    The Newtown rules will be simple, easy-to-understand rules that demand a higher standard of behavior from those who want to own guns than the rest of us. (I outlined the basics in "Watch out for Joe Biden!") Think storage, supervision, safety, sobriety. Gun rights may be automatic under the constitution, but screw up and you lose 'em. Plus, if you overestimate your ability to be a responsible gun owner, you'll suffer an additional penalty in the form of jail time.
     
    Folks, please comment and tell me what you think about this--I think if we don't want to get stuck in the weeds, this is the kind of thing we need to do--a requirement for gun owners to actually walk the walk by meeting a high standard instead of merely talking about THEIR rights.

    Comments

    This is an excellent post and I support your stance.

    I am going to repost a comment here that I put in your other blog:

    I will preface this comment by stating that yes, I doubt it will ever happen, but....

    I think that gun owners should have to register all their guns - implement a federal law that all have 90 days to complete simple registration forms (i.e. name, address of owner, DOB with proof of identity presented much like driver's/marriage license; type of gun and serial number). This would all be inputted into national database for law enforcement access if weapon used in crime, etc.

    If after the deadline any are found to be in possession of unregistered gun, they not only forfeit that one, but any and all others they possess and pay large fine.

    Of course, all sales or gifts of guns must adhere to same process but with background checks etc.

    It's just common sense.

    I do think Biden is the perfect messenger and I'm hoping that most, if not all, the law enforcement people he meets with will passionately support him.  But, unless We, The People, get involved in a big way, I don't think there's a chance any strong legislation that will truly effect change will prevail.

    Greatly appreciate erica. 


    by Aunt Sam on Thu, 12/20/2012 - 1:54pm

    Thanks Aunt Sam. I'd like to see a registry as well--but I think holding owners to a higher standard is initially more do-able--especially since in the owners' words, "people kill people."


    by erica20 on Thu, 12/20/2012 - 5:04pm

    Joe needs to say

    "We will lead by example. America will no longer kill people, anywhere. There is no justification for murder. We will become a Nation of farmers, as we turn our spears into plowshares, in order to eliminate fear and hunger."


    by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 12/20/2012 - 3:07pm

    Respectfully, I think this is well outside of the task at hand.


    by erica20 on Thu, 12/20/2012 - 4:08pm