REDUCING GUN VIOLENCE and MASS MURDER in America: a reasonable solution?

PART 1 

SIMPLY:
I say we make owning a gun REGULATED, just like owning a car.
And just like owning a car, we make it very EXPENSIVE!

With owning a car (like most Americans choose to do) there is the huge cost to purchase the vehicle, which is even more expensive when financed. Then there is annual vehicle registration fees, mandatory annual vehicles insurance fees, annual maintenence costs, fuel costs, and of course, the driver must have a license which has annual renewal fees.

Are you truly serious about solutions to gun violence and mass murder in America?
Then regulate gun ownership the same as owning and driving a car!
And make it EXPENSIVE!
Not as expensive as owning a car, but expensive enough that it seriously causes most people to reassess just how badly they need to have these deadly weapons.

And here's the key part: EVERYONE WILL STILL HAVE THEIR PRECIOUS 2ND AMENDMENTS RIGHTS TO OWN PEOPLE-KILLING WEAPONS! Hoooray!!! No loss of "constitutional rights."

And before we get too deep into this, yes, mental illness in America is a problem. Yes, more resources should be devoted there. Absolutley! But that still will not prevent the majority of gun violence in America. It is an important step, YES! but only a partial solution. And a very difficult and expensive one at that.

This proposal is "in addition to" all the mental health interventions proposed.

The goal here is to REDUCE both frequency and magnitude of gun related violence, by reducing the number of guns (especially among criminals and those who are very young), while it is fully understood that this will not eliminate gun violence altogether in this country.

PART 2

First, we will have to pay much more just to purchase a gun due to a heavy increase in gun taxation.

Bullets will be heavily taxed too!

Then, just like owning a car, an annual gun registration fee, plus annual gun insurance, and the gun owner, including anyone in the same household who might have access to the gun, must pay an annual "gun user license" fee (akin to a driver's license, complete with PHOTO ID that goes onto a national database)

If you have the money, you can buy and own all the people-killing guns you want!
But just like car ownership is expensive, to reduce gun violence in America, so must be gun ownership.

PART 3

GUN USER LICENSE:

Just like owning a car, everyone must take a mandatory govt certified "gun ownership safety course," including passing the practical and written exam (like Canada and Switzerland do)

Every gun owner must pass background checks, with a mandatory 28 day waiting period, and provide 2 non-family/non-relationship references who are not related to each other who will vouch for you and your sanity.

Gun Ownership Course & Exam = $300

Annual Photo ID Gun User License = $100
(this is like a driver's license card and can be used anywhere for ID)
This is regardless whether you actually own a gun, but wish to be permitted to use one.
If you ever want to use one, even at a target range, YOU MUST HAVE THIS USER LICENSE. Same as any car driver.

As long as you own a gun or wish to purchase a gun, YOU MUST HAVE THIS annual LICENSE ID CARD.

@Zeus4par

Anything that reduces gun violence in this country will help. 

@Europa

Agree with you, sir! 

My proposal plus all the important background checks and mental health intervention programs are part of a multi-pronged approach to severely reduce gun violence, particularly mass killings.

No proposal is perfect.  But each help.  And that's what counts.  LIVES ARE AT STAKE!

My proposal simply increases costs to the gun owner but still protects 2nd amendment rights!

More to come

PART 4 

GUNS:

I say we start with a mandatory $500 annual registration & insurance fee, up front, to the federal govt each year for every handgun or single shot rifle, and $1,500 annual registration & insurance fee up front every year to own each military style assault weapon (similar to AR-15)

Annual renewal of registration and insurance is similar to owning a car!

If you own any guns they all must be registered and insured. Failure to register a gun will be a criminal offense.

A ONE-TIME DEPOSIT of $1,000, per each handgun or single-shot rifle purchased (or traded) or $3,000 for each military style assault weapon (similar to AR-15). If you ever wish to surrender your weapons to Federal authorities, you get your deposits back!

5% annual reduction in reg & insurance fees! After 20 years there would be no further annual fees except the annual Photo ID license of $100 (adjusted for inflation costs)

Police and active military get 50% discount on all fees for personal non-service guns.

Collectors may have all annual renewable fees waived after registration provided they have the weapon rendered permanently inoperable at a licensed govt facility and keep the receipts of proof.

*FAILURE to pay any fees (2 notices issued; 30 day grace period) results in immediate confiscation and forfeiture of user license. That gun will also be rendered permanently inoperable.

i for one like where youre going with this , as i remember u explained some of it in a previous thread

@Zeus4par

 Do you really believe criminals are buying guns legally?

Do you think criminals will be registering guns?

The liberal response to everything is a tax. Make every single thing about the haves and the have nots.  Shooting is an expensive enough activity as is. Everytime I go shooting, depending on the size of the group, it's anywhere from a few hundred in ammo to close to a grand. This plan would prevent attacks like the one in Uvalde, and even Buffalo, but not the majority of gun violence. More comprehensive background checks are a start. Ridiculous taxes are s nonstarter.

Annual registration fee? Good luck with that.

No, of course not.  Many likely steal them or smuggle them.  Perhaps only a small percentage buy them legally.

However, that said, the muderers in both Buffalo and Uvalde mass killings bought their guns legally.

And that is the point.

Nothing is perfect, including background checks.  But THOSE particular occurances can be reduced.

Thank you    because that is my entire point!

I want to REDUCE the gun violence frequency and magnitude, while fully acknowledging this is not perfect at completely eliminating gun violence.

Background checks do not completely eliminate gun violence either.

Neither does mental health programs.

NOTHING IS PERFECT.   But every little bit helps, and frankly, 10 dead in Buffalo, and 21 dead in Uvalde, are 31 people who would still be alive today under my plan.  Arguing about costs and taxes over the lives of 31 people is a non-starter for me.

But thank you for your comments.

Welp, we do it for cars!

I see no valid reason why it can't be instituted for the one thing in America that is always an accomplice to gun violence death: guns.

And we have more guns in America than we have cars.   If we can regulate cars, we can regulate guns.

If we have to hire a whole lot more people to enforce this, GREAT, another side benefit!  Increasing public sector employment (which includes multiple benefits like full health care) while improving public safety and generating significant government revenues!

Excellent means to reduce gun-related violence!  Reduce the number of guns! 

Especially the military assault rifles and any gun that can spray a dozen+ bullets with but one single pull on the trigger

If those guns were sold much more expensive and the bullets additionally made very expensive, none of that would have happened

Do we do it for golf clubs? Guns are weapons but also sporting equipment. They can be used in private. Cars use public roads.

The average citizen does not have access to military assault rifles, nor any rifle with select fire. Weren't you in the military? You should know this.

Good point.   So, when pre-meditated murders  by use of golf clubs  hits the stratosphere, with hundreds of occurances per year causing MASS DEATHS, including many children being bludgeoned to death - and thus causing a frequently repeated public outrage - then I would say they need to be regulated.  In fact I would support intense regulation on any device used for hundreds of cases of MASS PRE-MEDITATED MURDERS.  Good point!

I used "military assault rifles" as a broad term referring to what the public thinks of when they see the AR-15 style and similar weapons resembling (to them) millitary grade weapons. 

And in Uvalde the teen bought two of those.

Is introducing gun registrations and outlandish taxes going to stop the majority of gun violence, which is carried out by illegal guns?

It's "broad terms" and mislabeling like this that confuses the general public. You mentioned guns that can spray dozens of bullets with a single pull of the trigger. These AR style civilian rifles are NOT fully automatic. Why throw out falsehoods?

I would doubt it.

But then, that isn't the point being made.

Was referring to what the public thinks, not what some of us know.   Gotta read the room, Stu.

They see the AR-15 and call it a millitary assault weapon. They do that. 

But I'm not going to argue symantics with you.

The ammosexuals start splitting hairs about what an "assault rifle" is, as they always do, I suggest going a step further: If it was up to me, I would ban everything automatic as well as semi-automatic, including pistols. and everything with a magazine capacity of more than 5 rounds. Bolt-action only. Since that will probably never happen without starting another Civil War, I think the next best thing would be MUCH stricter gun laws. A good start would be taking a page out of Canada's requirements for gun purchases: First obtain a firearm license (mandatory 28 day waiting period), submit photo and signature of photo guarantor, complete multi-day gun safety course and pass written and practical test, complete background check which considers criminal history, mental health history, domestic violence history and whether applicant poses risk or harm to anyone, provide two references, provide signature of conjugal partners within the last two years (so many of these shooters are loners). And if it was up to me you would have to be at least 25 years old to purchase ANY weapon. Especially since they've had a massive uptick of school shootings since Sandy Hook. 

Some good ideas in here... problem is most crimes are committed with illegal firearms.   Nowadays people believe they can do whatever they want with very limited repercussions.  Lock downs did not help.  Parenting...video games... music.. all are part of this recipe.. but imo , social media plays a huge roll.  I feel bad for our kids today.  It's easier to get bullied, or to bully, .. kids wanting to be liked, accepted, popular.  Yes we have a mess here, but pointing fingers and blaming others is definitely not the answer.  It starts with the home.

But the majority of NON- "gang vs gang" gun involved deaths are committed with LEGAL firearms.

I agree with Zeus4par that no solution is 100% perfect at eliminating all gun deaths, but a significant number of gun involved deaths can be **REDUCED** by causing a voluntary decrease in the sheer number of guns, while still maintaining our 2nd amendment rights.