Saturday, December 15, 2012

I try not to complain without having some suggestion as to a solution.

I'm not settled on where I stand on gun control.

"Stricter Regulations" get's thrown around a lot.

That's such a vague statement though.  Stricter regulations.  It's easy to say.  What kind of regulations?

Here's one small thought ( the fullness of information has not been released in the most recent incident, this may not be completely relevant, please don't let that stop you from pondering the idea) :

It seems so often that the weapons used in crimes are stolen or borrowed, or otherwise obtained from someone who did legally and sanely purchase them.

When I worked at the Boys and Girls Club, we took the kids to the pool during the summer.  The last summer I worked, the pool made us watch a video of a child drowning.  I think about that video a lot.  He was under water for several minutes before anyone noticed.

What does this have to do with gun control?

I don't want to suggest that we require people to lock their guns up.  That could only be implemented with house checks.  No one wants that.  But I would suggest, that in order to purchase a gun, any gun, any where; that you be exposed to the kinds of crimes committed with borrowed or stolen weapons.  You would be given information and suggestions on the best ways to lock up your guns.  Stories about the victims, the families, etc.  Video of real interviews, and information from instructors that aren't trying to sell you a gun.

If you keep weapons in your home.  If you share that information with others.  If you don't take precautions to insure that your son's weird friend Jim doesn't sneak in and take them, you are in some way responsible for what that kid does with that weapon.  I think people put more effort into locking up their booze than they do their guns.

This won't save everyone, but there are enough cases that it is worth looking into.  If you want to keep an item in your house that can so quickly and easily end someone's life, it seems logical that you would want to be responsible about how and where you keep that item.