Here is what we need to do. Openly carry firearms if you meet the following criteria.
1. Clean Background check. With a wait period. If you need a gun RIGHT now, you need a minute to collect your thoughts.
2. No history of mental illness. We will make that part of the background check.
3. A training period, age limit, and test- similar to getting a driver's license. A gun is as dangerous as a car.
4. Mandatory gun owners' insurance. Just like a car. Killing someone causes some expense!
5. Finally, and this one is important, you must be a woman.
The "Men need guns to be manly" objection.
I am sure some people will be upset with my final condition. I am not saying you can't own a gun if you are a man. But carrying in public will be for women. One in five women have been sexually assaulted. 99% of rapists are men. More than 90% of victims are women. (Yes I know these numbers change if you count prison rape- my argument is not to arm prisoners.)
Think of it this way. I walk outside at night. Alone. Wearing whatever is comfortable. Unarmed and unafraid. Some people think they need to carry a gun in Chipotle, I think this is
If someone attacks me in the grocery store, I can throw a can of green beans. Let's see. 12 ounces, 50 mph- about half the joules delivered as a .22LR. (And no wait period on canned goods.) But if locally sourced weapons are not an okay option for men, I am willing to concede. Men's right to bear arms will include swords not less than 48 inches long and weighing no less that 40 ounces. Swing that sucker with two hands in emergencies.
Men also want "their" women and children to be protected. Solved. Arm the moms, the girlfriends, the loved ones. Women have reason to fear and we can make that go away. If every sane and law-abiding woman I saw on the street was armed and trained in the use of that weapon, I would not fear one bit for my own life.
The "I need my guns in case the government goes nuts" objection.
Some people think they need their guns to overthrow tyrannical dictators. Fair deal. If the government goes nuts, you still have your gun- just take it out of storage. I mean, it is a tyranny after all. Not like they won't just throw you in jail for no reason anyway.
Be forewarned. I was in the military. We had Apache helicopters, F-22 Raptors, Mk 19 grenade launchers, M1A1 tanks, and the nuclear bomb (to name just the quickest few.) No number of shotguns makes you capable of holding your own against our trained soldiers.
The "This is unconstitutional" objection.
The constitution (Article V) says we can change the constitution. If you think women are being given an advantage, consider maybe some sort of equal rights amendment? What exact part of the constitution is being violated here anyway?
Wait! There is still training, wait periods and background checks? Unless you want insane, criminal, untrained people walking around with weapons, this is not a problem.
The "Who are you to decide this" objection.
I am not deciding. Suggesting. Who I am: White male. With daughters. Former military. Decent shot. Good swordsman. Those are my biases.
Jason, followed Trish's link from FB.
ReplyDeleteAs a licensed concealed carry permit holder, I can tell you that much of the CC gunowning population as well as the NRA view the Chipotle long gun open carry idiots as an aberration. If OC were legal in my state, I'd continue to carry concealed.
As far as your other suggestions:
2A equally protects a woman's right to bear arms as well as a man's right.
Define mental illness.
How do we get gun owners who suffer from mental illness to get treatment if they are afraid their rights will be affected.
How do we bypass HIPAA.
How will this reduce the vast majority of gun crime, that is crime that occurs with a gun obtained through theft, illegal arms dealers who sell to already prohibited persons, or family/acquaintances.
Have a great day?
Hello Miles,
ReplyDeleteThe National Association for the Mentally Ill defines mental illness as "a medical condition that disrupts a person's thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning." That definition is sufficient for me. If the concern is that a mentally ill person won't self report because they are afraid of losing their guns, it seems you are afraid that crazy people want to have guns. Me too. I will take 100 sane, trained and responsible gun owners over a single unbalanced one any day.
I agree the second amendment protects a man's right as well as a woman's.
HIPAA would not need to be bypassed. I assume you are speaking of the privacy rule, Just as the DMV can require medical records to be submitted, a similar rule could cover not necessarily weapon ownership, but the ability to publicly carry a firearm. As an Illinois resident, the FOID application already asks about mental health history over the last five years.
According to the Justice Department survey of inmates, 9% had obtained their firearm through theft and 28% through some degree of illegal arms deal. Leaving the majority to be legally obtained. I imagine that those illegally acquired weapons are used MUCH more frequently in the act of a crime than those that are legally purchased. But that isn't the problem being addressed.
There is a frequent refrain "if gun ownership is criminalized, only criminals will own guns." This is true by definition, but not the point. If I make drinking and driving illegal, then only criminals will drink and drive. Equally true and for the same reason. But by making drinking and driving illegal, I increase safety by allowing the police to stop people who are drinking and driving.
Likewise, if a man is walking down the street with a Marlin 338, I would be empowering law enforcement officers to ensure he is about to take down an elk not a child.
I agree that responsible gun owners are not the problem- except so far as they are accidentally supplying the stolen guns. And no one is taking your gun away. On very rare occasions, they even stop a crime. I have owned guns. (I only sold mine at the point my first child was born.) I was raised around guns. I don't think guns cause crime. Criminals do. And computers don't make hackers. Hackers are just much more capable with them.
Ultimately, this post is not about stopping the majority of gun crime. It is about increasing the well being of women. Lessening gun crime against women. Frankly, men are more likely to be shot than women. Yet, the majority of us don't fear to walk across a college campus at night. Heck, a rapist might not even be armed. But what if his victim was?
Hopefully, I have answered your questions. I will enjoy the great day- you too.
As a former gun owner, you probably know that in addition to your FOID application in Illinois, when purchasing a firearm from a Federal Firearms Licensee or FFL, that you fill out a 4473 and a national criminal instant check or NCIC is called in to the FBI or state DOJ. These forms inquire about felony judgement, misdemeanor DV, and mental illness adjudication. Lying on the form 4473 intentionally or not is a federal offense. A fraction of a percent of NCIC failures are investigated and prosecuted.
DeleteWhat specific mental illnesses otherwise not prohibited persons should be restricted from obtaining firearms. Anorexia? Anxiety? Depression? Just mental illness as defined by DSM5 with tendencies to violent behavior? Are these prohibitions without court adjudication?
While I disagree with many things you have written, I'm totally in agreement with the spirit of your last paragraph. I am 100% with you on empowering women to defend themselves against crime. I encourage women who are so inclined to seek out self-defense with or without firearms. For women specific issues to carrying a firearm, http://www.corneredcat.com/ is a spectacular resource.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNn90bficsQbycHvrMBFdfw is another youtube based resource for women specific firearm stuff.
Thanks.