Virginia Tech and Your Right To Bear Arms |
The Virginia Tech massacre demonstrates how clearly our antiquated notions of gun ownership need to be adjusted. It is amazing that it is easier to procure an assault rifle or semi-automatic high capacity pistol than it is to get a driver's license or a prescription for antibiotics in this society.
Our constitution guarantees the right to bear arms, but our firearms laws need to be updated. Already, we restrict our right to bear arms to those over 18 years of age; the precedent of moderation is there.
Congress needs to enact the legislation that will keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous people. Some considerations for this include:
1) While most states have a basic "permit" requirement to buy a firearm; there needs to be a Federal requirement for every firearms owner to hold and carry a "permit to own". Obtaining this permit should require completion of a course in firearms safety and handling, passing a test on the subject and a state and federal background check. Veterans and law enforcement professionals should be exempt from the course, but should be required to pass the test and background check.
2) If an individual would like a more advanced permit, such as a permit to carry a firearm, this should require additional training, testing and valid justification. The status should be reflected on the "permit to own".
3) Individuals taking certain medications known to have negative psychiatric side effects should be barred from holding a "permit to own" firearms. Prescribing medical professionals should be granted access to a national "permit to own" registry and should be required to tag those individuals for whom they have prescribed such medications and to un-tag them once they are no longer medicated.
4) Individuals with firearms permits should undergo periodic psychiatric evaluations by independent psychiatrists. If an evaluation reveals psychiatric conditions unsuitable for possession of firearms they should be barred from holding a "permit to own" firearms. Evaluating psychiatrists should be granted access to a national "permit to own" registry and should be required to tag those individuals who represent a psychiatric risk and to un-tag them if and when they are no longer considered a risk.
5) Individuals with a "permit to own" who do not store their firearms and ammunition with appropriate safeguards should be considered negligent in the event that their firearms are taken and used in the commission of a crime. Keeping firearms and ammunition in separate, approved and locked storage enclosures and safeguarding the keys or combinations to these enclosures should constitute appropriate safeguards.
6) Individuals with violent criminal records or who have demonstrated failure to responsibly handle or own firearms should have their "permit to own" permanently revoked.
With some simple changes our antiquated firearms laws can be adapted to modern society. The founding fathers did not intend for our society to become a gun crazy violent place; they intended for citizens like us to form armed militias in order to protect our towns and settlements from invasion by foreign or domestic governments. Yet, form an armed militia today and train with some men and you'll probably get a visit from the FBI and Homeland Security accusing you of running a "terrorist camp". Your rights as intentioned by our founding fathers have already been removed.
Every law abiding citizen that wishes to own firearms for sport or protection purposes should be permitted to exercise their right to do so. It should also be straightforward for most citizens to comply with these simple points; however, those with violent records or desires to perpetrate heinous acts or crimes must not be permitted to own or easily access firearms.
We need to exercise our right to bear arms responsibly. We need legislation that will determine which people in our society are allowed to exercise their right to bear arms - because "guns don't kill people - people do."
Our constitution guarantees the right to bear arms, but our firearms laws need to be updated. Already, we restrict our right to bear arms to those over 18 years of age; the precedent of moderation is there.
Congress needs to enact the legislation that will keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous people. Some considerations for this include:
1) While most states have a basic "permit" requirement to buy a firearm; there needs to be a Federal requirement for every firearms owner to hold and carry a "permit to own". Obtaining this permit should require completion of a course in firearms safety and handling, passing a test on the subject and a state and federal background check. Veterans and law enforcement professionals should be exempt from the course, but should be required to pass the test and background check.
2) If an individual would like a more advanced permit, such as a permit to carry a firearm, this should require additional training, testing and valid justification. The status should be reflected on the "permit to own".
3) Individuals taking certain medications known to have negative psychiatric side effects should be barred from holding a "permit to own" firearms. Prescribing medical professionals should be granted access to a national "permit to own" registry and should be required to tag those individuals for whom they have prescribed such medications and to un-tag them once they are no longer medicated.
4) Individuals with firearms permits should undergo periodic psychiatric evaluations by independent psychiatrists. If an evaluation reveals psychiatric conditions unsuitable for possession of firearms they should be barred from holding a "permit to own" firearms. Evaluating psychiatrists should be granted access to a national "permit to own" registry and should be required to tag those individuals who represent a psychiatric risk and to un-tag them if and when they are no longer considered a risk.
5) Individuals with a "permit to own" who do not store their firearms and ammunition with appropriate safeguards should be considered negligent in the event that their firearms are taken and used in the commission of a crime. Keeping firearms and ammunition in separate, approved and locked storage enclosures and safeguarding the keys or combinations to these enclosures should constitute appropriate safeguards.
6) Individuals with violent criminal records or who have demonstrated failure to responsibly handle or own firearms should have their "permit to own" permanently revoked.
With some simple changes our antiquated firearms laws can be adapted to modern society. The founding fathers did not intend for our society to become a gun crazy violent place; they intended for citizens like us to form armed militias in order to protect our towns and settlements from invasion by foreign or domestic governments. Yet, form an armed militia today and train with some men and you'll probably get a visit from the FBI and Homeland Security accusing you of running a "terrorist camp". Your rights as intentioned by our founding fathers have already been removed.
Every law abiding citizen that wishes to own firearms for sport or protection purposes should be permitted to exercise their right to do so. It should also be straightforward for most citizens to comply with these simple points; however, those with violent records or desires to perpetrate heinous acts or crimes must not be permitted to own or easily access firearms.
We need to exercise our right to bear arms responsibly. We need legislation that will determine which people in our society are allowed to exercise their right to bear arms - because "guns don't kill people - people do."
posted by Figure it out at
9:32 PM
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