I knew after my last post that I’d get some people saying, “But WHAT can we do? What laws or regulations would stop gun violence?”
Well, I made a list of suggestions.
Let’s make one thing clear from the start – no law or regulation will stop all crime. The point of common-sense gun regulations is to make it HARDER for people to commit crimes. These suggestions might be inconvenient, but law-abiding citizens who value the lives of others shouldn’t mind some minor inconveniences if it means saving lives.
Also, don’t come for me with, “But…mental health!!!” because I agree! Mental health is woefully underfunded and unsupported in this country. I will talk about mental health anytime. However, there is plenty of room in our brains to talk about mental health AND common sense gun regulations.
~Don’t pass bills allowing easy access to silencers/suppressors (A silencer’s effect would have been negligible in the Vegas rampage, but it’s possible that silencers/suppressors could make some shootings worse than they would be otherwise).
~If you commit domestic violence or any other type of violence against children or animals, you lose your right to own a gun.
~Gun owners should have to register every gun (just like a car), and carry liability insurance on every gun (just like a car), and reregister every year (just like a car).
~Document all sales of guns between people, and have strict repercussions for not doing so.
~Impose very strict penalties for crimes committed with a gun registered in other states.
~Register guns that are inherited, with strict penalties if not.
~Require gun manufacturers to make guns safer (fingerprint access, etc).
~If a child accesses a loaded gun and kills someone, the gun owner should go to jail for murder.
~A person should have to demonstrate a reason to have a gun for self-protection, and then there needs to be a process for people who need guns for protection to access them.
~Have handsome monetary rewards for voluntarily turning in a gun (more than the gun is worth).
~Keep guns out of hands of mentally ill people who cannot make other decisions for themselves.
~Repeal open carry laws.
~”One strike you’re out” law for anyone brandishing a gun in a menacing way (loss of right to bear arms).
~Hunters can have reasonable guns for hunting but no semiautomatic weapons, and offer a handsome monetary incentive to turn in your gun during non-hunting seasons.
~Annual background checks.
~Require regular gun safety training.
~Allow the CDC to study gun violence.
~Federal regulations on guns, so people can’t go to lax states and bring them back to states with stricter laws (if someone brings up Chicago one more time I will SCREAM. More than half of the recovered guns in Chicago were purchased outside of Illinois.).
~Limits on the number of guns a person can own. This study from 2004 is eye-opening.
~Tax ammunition.
~Track the sales of ammunition like we do with Sudafed and other mandated drugs.
~Make it a requirement that purchasers must present registration/license to buy ammunition.
~Only allow licensed gun retailers to sell ammunition.
~Ban ammunition sales at locations not legally authorized to sell the weapon.
~Limit magazine capacity.
~Outlaw bump stocks.
~Prohibit people subject to a temporary restraining order from having guns.
~If you have been the subject of an involuntary psychiatric hold with 5 years, you cannot have a gun.
~Don’t tie up legislation in committee allowing people to stockpile guns and ammunition.
~Tie gun ownership to social services and domestic violence investigations.
~Outlaw concealed carry for nonmilitary/law enforcement.
~Make all movies with guns in them “R” or higher.
~Put modesty covers on gun and ammo magazines, like porn.
~Put warning stickers on all guns and boxes of ammo, with pictures of victims’ bodies (the way cigarette packs showed black lungs) on the packaging.
~In gun safety classes, make potential gun owners see graphic photos of people killed by gun violence (the way drivers ed students watch Red Asphalt).
~Require a vision test as part of the licensing process.
This list of suggestions is by no means exhaustive. There are so many other ideas out there. We can do something. We DON’T have to live like this.
Lenora says:
So many great ideas. I really don’t understand this reluctance, we regulate how much sudafed you can buy, you can only take 3 ounces of liquid on a plane, etc, why can’t we regulate this!! And I am so sick of hearing laws wouldn’t have stopped this rampage or if someone wants to commit a crime they will find a way; the very least we can do is try to introduce some common sense laws because this do nothing approach is not working. I don’t understand this gun fascination but if you are a decent human being you should have no problem following some common sense laws!
GreenInOC says:
It’s such a stupid argument, right? You know what will happen no matter what we do? An earthquake. Yet we don’t throw up our hands and say “oh well, build a wood & twine building right there on that fault”, we have laws that help mitigate the danger. Building regulations, retrofitting, disclosures, strapping of water heaters, insurance availability, to name a few. There are so many hypocrisies to this conversation it’s frustrating.
Something I think is important for every one to do, EVERY DAY is to call your representatives and perhaps the committee representatives to repeal the Dickey Amendment which prevents the CDC from studying gun violence.
Melody Maradiaga says:
These are really good suggestions. Thank you!
San says:
May I repost this in some capacity (giving credit back to you, of course)?
Heather says:
yes, you may!
Tania says:
As my 15 year old daughter just said “you can’t keep restarting the topic of some sort of gun control” when I said clarify she said “you can’t keep bringing it up after each mass shooting then let it die out for 6 months, you NEED TO KEEP DISCUSSING IT AND FIGURE OUT A COMMON SENSE APPROACH” out of theouths of babes folks…Out of the mouths of babes….She has a valid point, WE NEED TO KEEP TALKING !!! I am absolutely a rights to bear arms gal, but we need a common sense approach…..And what we are doing just is NOT working…
Shelly says:
Thank you for this post.
Brittany says:
I hope you don’t mind, I am sharing your suggestions because you have said everything that I want to say…
AuntieMip says:
So here is what I want to know. What can every day citizens do? I have written and called dozens and dozens of politicians. I am sick to death or impassioned form letters. I am a victim of gun violence. I am a nurse. Worked in Seattle until 1230 AM and had a 45 minute commute home. When I got our of my car at home I heard a noise, turned around and felt a gun on my head, He tried to shove me in the car and I struggled. He moved the chest to my head and screamed at me before moving the gun back to my forehead. He then dragged me up the stairs towards my apartment by my hair. My neighbor heard a noise and came outside and spooked him. He ran, but not before he smacked me across the face with the butt of the gun breaking my cheekbone. I was lucky. I survived. I am good all these years later. But gun violence has only gotten worse. And I feel useless and utterly impotent. What is there beyond a damn letter to my senator? I am so effing pissed off I can hardly type. I am shaking remembering it all. I am just so angry. Sorry for spewing that here Heather. I just want to have an actionable task that makes a difference!
Alex says:
I’m sorry you went through that, it sounds horrifying!
Amy says:
Thank you for the point about Chicago. It is incredibly frustrating to constantly be held up as an example that is not accurate. Yes, we have a problem with gun violence here, but the issues behind it are complex and varied, but the main issue is not overly strict regulations. Most weapons used in crimes are obtained illegally, through straw purchasers or other means.
Katie B says:
Thank you so much for writing this! I’ve been volunteering for an organization called Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America since last year, after the Pulse nightclub shooting. The gun violence epidemic in this country is terrifying and I needed to take action.
Moms Demand Action is a non-partisan gun violence prevention group with over 3 million supporters and chapters in all 50 states. We do lobbying work in state houses and the federal government, as well as advocacy and support for survivors of gun violence.
You don’t have to be a mom, or even a parent to join! Anyone who’s concerned about the gun violence in this country can help. I know It’s helped me feel like I’m doing something, instead of feeling helpless and sad.
https://momsdemandaction.org
Erin says:
These are great ideas! WHY is it easier to buy ammunition than a pack of cold medicine? That’s crazy! And why does any individual need 40+ guns? You bring up some very good points.
Debbie A-H says:
Thank you. This is such a common-sense list.
Chris says:
I love all of these ideas, you are a great advocate, I have one more that makes so much sense, have a national data base connected to all gun sales. You buy a gun of any type, you’re in a database, if you buy another one, its added to your profile, and so on. The gun stores will see that a person already owns 6, 10, 20, etc. they might think twice or question why does someone need that many and what type they are purchasing. A big red flag and notification to the ATF would be then sent. Makes sense to me. We need to do something NOW.
Becca says:
Ive never wanted to give a blog post a standing ovation so much in my life. Yes. Yes. Yes.
Jane says:
Yes!
Stephanie B. says:
I HATE when people bring up Chicago. Has anyone looked at a map to see how close Chicago is to Indiana and Wisconsin? It’s so easy to buy guns in a lax state like Indiana. The same is true here in California – we live two hours from Nevada, where the gun laws are incredibly weak. That’s why federal laws are needed!
Alex says:
It just happens was too much to do NOTHING. It will be difficult to get anything done but we could start small. We need to make some sort of forward progress
Jackson says:
This morning I was listening to NPR about mass shootings and the high number reported on a month by month graph. As a researcher I had been trying to understand the reporting because I listen to and watch the news each day and could not recall hearing about the high number being reported. Zero of course would be the correct number. I learned that it all depends on the definition given for mass shootings. All definitions were included in the graph we all saw so if a husband killed his wife and 2 kids that was included along with gang murders and Orlando and Las Vegas. Depending on the definition applied there were as few as 3 mass murders during the year reported or as many as we saw on the graph. While any number is terribly disheartening it does make a difference in how we respond given that in many states it is possible for any of us to own a handgun.
Melissa says:
I was 100% for outlawing guns several years ago, and I was trying to convince my parents (who gave several) to get rid of them. They have both handguns and semi-automatic rifles and I honestly didn’t understand why they needed them. But they enjoy going to the gun club and shooting different weapons and are very responsible (all of their guns are in a large locked safe and also have trigger locks) so who am I to tell them to give them up? But something absolutely needs to be done. I think both Republicans and Democrats need to get together and decide yes, there is an issue here we need to do something about. When mass shootings happen there is so much finger pointing between the two (Democrats say Republicans are at fault, Republicans say Democrats are taking away their rights) I wish there could be some sort of middle ground. I keep looking at my two babies and praying they never have to witness or become a victim of something so absolutely horrific.
Elise says:
Heather, this is a great place to start thinking about this. However, the biggest issue right now is that the NRA has been pushing for a national concealed carry reciprocity law (it would require states to honor CCR licenses from other states, even if that other state has different requirements for obtaining a license). States like MA, which requires a local police chief to sign off on a concealed carry license would not be able to restrict entry of people carrying weapons who are licensed differently in another state, for example). There is a huge effort underway to pass this, it was a big conservative election issue and Trump has indicated he would sign such a bill. Given that gun laws have been loosened after every previous mass shooting, I’m highly concerned that this could pass soon. Self-protection etc. Keep an eye on it https://www.nraila.org/articles/20170915/national-reciprocity-bill-nears-goal-line-in-the-house-but-needs-your-support-to-reach-the-end-zone#
Separately, I think it’s imperative that we progressive pro-gun control citizens become experts on guns and gun laws. We need to be able to speak the language, be familiar with guns and gun culture and know how to handle a gun if we are ever to be taken seriously by 2A fundamentalists. Right now they are able to jump on every mistake, every factual error in pro-gun control arguments and discredit them that way. Only by being at the table do I think we have a shot at moving the needle.
Just my two cents.
twingles says:
Some great ideas, some good ideas, some pie in the sky (who’s going to keep track of the hunters’ guns that get turned in when it’s not hunting season?). I think the keep the dream alive we need to stick to realistic ideas. And I too am tired of hearing the mental health argument. Would not have helped in the case of Las Vegas. It goes without saying mentally ill people should not have guns but someone has to KNOW the person is mentally ill. That’s why for me, it starts with the guns. And don’t come at ME with the second amendment. Our forefathers were smart, but they couldn’t conceive of the killing machines we have today.
Heather says:
Yep, definitely some pie in the sky ideas, definitely some that I have no idea how they would be implemented, but I’m *trying* and that’s more than we can say for many of our elected leaders!
Tania says:
Amen!!!
twingles says:
i agree. I am sick of nothing getting done on many issues but this one in particular. As with most issues it is “all or nothing” on each side. We need to meet in the middle because we are never going to convince gun owners to give up their guns. You and I were raised in or close to huge American cities and have more of an urban sensibility (you – LA, me – NYC). We need to understand and respect the wants and needs of rural Americans (although they generally are not the problem when it comes to guns). But I get very angry when people say “leave it alone….our forefathers saw into the future and knew what they wanted for us”. Um, no they had to put gunpowder into their rifles and then load a bullet, it was like a 5 minute process to get one shot off….they did not see this disaster coming!
Katrina says:
~Have handsome monetary rewards for voluntarily turning in a gun (more than the gun is worth).
Funny, I was thinking of this idea today as I was driving around town, contemplating what we can do about this issue. And I quickly dismissed the idea as, “naw…that will never happen” but I’m happy to see you have the same idea. I think all of your suggestions are good, actually. Something needs to be done to take a step in the right direction. Send your list to your state senator, or to someone. You never know. Maybe someone will do something productive with this list.
DefendUSA says:
As a person who has mentally ill person residing with me, and a cousin who was also mentally ill and eventually did kill herself, I must say that I know better.
A. Turning in guns voluntarily? Call me cynical, but go watch Red Dawn again, or re-read 1984. When liberty is “silently seized” because people do things “voluntarily” those people eventually turn on others because “equal” is never that. Period.
The Vegas Killer purchased his weapons in CA, TX and NV. What say you? Are there going to be checkpoints at every state line and no more mail order to control it? Great. Then we can also stop the illegal aliens with that method, can’t we– from killing innocent Americans and not going to jail and somehow coming back over the border to the sanctuary state of CA!!! PREPARE TO SCREAM.
B. Chicago and CT have the strictest gun laws in the country. It has not stopped the killings by firearm..now at 527+ this year in Chicago alone– (762 last year) and it did not stop Sandy Hook from happening, where my little cousins still attend school and the principal was a schoolmate of mine. It did not stop my mentally ill cousin, a CT resident from obtaining a firearm and pretending to be an FBI agent. No one was injured, but because of the laws, my aunt could not get guardianship as it protected the schizophrenic, bipolar person known as my cousin. She “only” shot out a window. She was disabled by mental illness and lived on her own. How did she get the gun?
C. The CDC puts out morbidity and mortality statistics on all kinds of deaths including gun violence but gun violence is not a disease. And the FBI used to put out statistics until Obama stopped it in 20O9. Why? BHO’s administration also approved Bump Stocks. And they have done “studies” but because it does not fit the narrative for prevention as opposed to advocating gun control…that pesky 2nd amendment.
Would banning alcohol stop drunk drivers from getting behind the wheel and killing? How has making cocaine or meth illegal stopped people from overdosing, and dying seeing as legal drugs are killing more people than guns to the tune of 64, 000 last year? Should we ban cars so drunks can still find access to a car, drive illegally and kill people? Does paying more for health insurance guarantee you aren’t going to get cancer? No. No. and No. I implore people to think with common sense, not emotion. After what i have seen in my family, even I know that more regulation is not going to have an impact. Did limiting the amount of RX per month stop those 64k deaths from fentanyl, oxycodone?
The murders in Vegas are not the fault of the NRA, its lobbies, or Trump or anything else. Could it be mental illness? The jury is out on that. Terror? Maybe…he did acquire very expensive weapons and visited the Middle East ports via cruises, multiple times…still no digital footprints to be found. Stranger and stranger.
D. Reciprocity is a common sense law. Otherwise, a law abiding citizen can be prosecuted for carrying a weapon in her car, in a suitcase when crossing a state line. Yep. That happened.
Common sense. Not emotion. Not the hysteria of the media, Hollywood, the gov’t who never lets a “crisis” go to waste….Just common sense, please. Start with the family units, start with the understanding that mental illness, although not preventable, is treatable, where the Adam Lanzas, Jared Loughners and the CO shooter could have been stopped. Sometimes the laws work against us, as in those cases and my cousin, who was only three years older than me. Food for thought.