Reply With Quote
Although I agree that access to top tier mental help should be the number one priority after this massacre, you cannot deny the fact that the lack of gun control is also an issue.
First off, we have to compare like to like. The countries the writer ranks in the top are not exactly what you would call modernized societies where the government actually has a say of what goes on. These aren't exactly countries with the strictest of gun control laws.Originally Posted by emailbox
Lets compare the USA to european countries, shall we?
oh look, the USA beats every European country, Canada, Australia, Japan. Even some countries whom are not really developed at all have less of homicide per 100000 people stat.
X- % firearm ownership
Y- Homicides per 100000
I took the liberty of graphing these stats of European countries along with Canada, NZ, and AUS.
circled are the obvious outliers: Kazakhstan, Albania, Macedonia, and, of course, the USA in that order. I think we can agree that Kazakhstan and Albania aren't the most developed of countries. I don't know about Macedonia
But really, US? Why?
In many states, it is easier to get a gun permit than it is to get your drivers license. That right there tells us something. Many states trust people more with a machine that fires metal pellets at high velocity, whose main intent is to kill than with a motor vehicle so that they can get around to places.
What the ****?
There is obviously stuff we can do in gun control in addition to better mental healthcare.
Here are some things that I would like to see.
1. Some type of license system like a drivers license. You are allowed to own ____ type of weapon up to ____ caliber. Type of thing. If you want bigger guns, you need to get licensed. The higher up you go, the more hoops you need to jump through and the less likely chance you are to obtain these weapons. Want a .50 cal sniper? Go get that license. Show the government that you need it even though nobody needs a ****ing AR-15.
2. Full criminal background checks to get the license, mental health check, and personality check. Much like the government would do if you were applying for a job with some level x security clearance, people would come to your house, check on things in your house. The to-be-owner would be required to have a certified gun safe beforehand. Higher licenses require more screening and that person that comes to your house will also talk to your neighbors, friends, and relatives.
3. Mandatory registration of all guns. The private selling of firearms is prohibited. The buyer and seller must do it at some location where a registered firearms salesman can de-register and re-register the firearm. Obviously, the buyer must be a licensed owner.
4. (maybe too much big brother): Randomized checking. A federal agent may come to your house and ask you to show all guns. If this cannot be done, it is a federal crime.
5. Limit on ammunition sales. You can buy ____ amount of ammunition in _____ days. You cannot own more than _____ amount of ammunition at any given time.
Guns are not things we should take lightly. I do respect people's rights to own and use guns, however, if massacres are going to become a regular thing, especially if we want to call ourselves a world leader, something must be done to curb the number of guns in the public sector. Obviously, these would all be federal laws.
I understand that homicides via firearm will never be zero. This will always be true. However, there are obvious steps that can be taken to minimize this number.
