A simple solution…
TREAT GUNS LIKE CARS
…and for all the same reasons.
- Guns are valuable possessions and ownership should be protected …just like cars
- When used improperly, either by accident or with criminal intent, guns can cause property damage, personal injury, even death …just like cars
This solution does not require the creation of new, complex bureaucracy
or contentious legislation. Simply clone the existing DMV, or expand it to include firearms as well as cars.
No reasonable argument can be made against this approach
No one thinks the DMV is coming to take their cars away.
No one claims the DMV is infringing on their freedom.
If one has not previously argued against the existence of the DMV, one
simply cannot make a logical or moral argument against this solution.
TREAT GUNS LIKE CARS
- Guns should be licensed, registered and insured …just like cars
- Gun owners should be tested, licensed and insured …just like drivers
…and for all the same reasons
Registering and insuring guns protects owners in case of theft, and aids in resale.
It makes it easier for law enforcement to track and identify stolen guns, and provides proof-of-ownership in the marketplace.
Testing and insuring owners protects everyone, including gun owners, from the consequences of accidental injury, and adds another layer of incrimination against those who would steal guns and/or use stolen guns for criminal activities.
TREAT GUNS LIKE CARS
A WORD ABOUT MILITARY-STYLE WEAPONS
Recent mass murders have again heightened public interest in treating powerful weapons as a special case separate from other types of gun ownership (i.e. hunting, personal protection), as has happened in the wake of many other mass killings in recent years. While the legislation proposed here should help keep ALL guns, including military-style weapons, out of the hands of terrorists, it is not hard to imagine ways to differentiate certain types of weapons for special consideration because of their extremely deadly nature. Just as special classes of operator licenses, requiring specialized training and testing and background checks, are mandated for over-the-road truck drivers and cab drivers, those wishing to own military-style weapons can be subject to specific additional licensing procedures. We’re still talking parallel structure and parallel concept here, vehicles:guns. 18-wheelers are potentially more dangerous than cars, especially when hauling flammable substances, so their operators are singled out for special treatment in order to keep our roads safe. Singling out owners of automatic weapons is equally logical, and good for public safety.
Combating global terrorism is the job of the U.S. Armed Forces and we support them wholeheartedly in that effort. Meanwhile, we as citizens can do our part by supporting legislation to
TREAT GUNS LIKE CARS
Next Steps…
Learn how you can do your part. Become a member. Start a TGLC Chapter in your community. Sport a TGLC hat or T-shirt. Add your voice. It’s the right thing to do.
This solution will gain the support of major players:
THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY
Insurance companies will enjoy a huge new revenue stream from
insuring guns and gun owners. The insurance lobby and PACs will support
this approach for obvious financial reasons.
STATES
States will also enjoy a huge new revenue stream from licenses
and fees. The monies can be used for law enforcement, public education,
infrastructure, or any use they determine, all without re-inventing the
wheel.
STATE’S RIGHTS ADVOCATES
Those concerned about the federal government dictating terms to
their states will be happy to know that their state and local
governments will still be able to enact and enforce local gun
regulations, just as they do traffic laws. No cause for concern here.
Their state treating guns like cars will protect them as gun owners, not limit their rights.
THE NRA
Yes, the NRA. Who knows more about gun safety than the NRA? No
one. That’s why they should be put in charge of developing and
administering gun owner testing, equivalent to the driver’s ed courses
required prior to licensing new drivers. Training and testing will
create a huge new revenue stream for them and they will no doubt
increase their membership enormously as a result. Moreover, this will
ease their stated fears about so-called “gun control” as they get to
participate in the process.
GUN SHOPS
Collecting license and registration fees on every gun sale will
increase their revenues, as they will be entitled to retain a small
portion of those fees to compensate them for the added paperwork.
Registration will also enable them to determine the provenance and legal
history of guns for resale, making sales easier and ensuring their
protection from litigation.
SHOOTING RANGES
Administering NRA-approved live gun-owner testing will provide a huge new revenue stream for shooting ranges, as well as help them attract new customers. Ranges will be authorized to check customers’ licenses just as car rental companies do today, and then offer testing and registration services to those without.
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Being able to quickly identify the owners of guns will make it
easier for law enforcement to do their job in cases involving gun play,
and to return stolen firearms to their rightful owners. Impounding
unregistered firearms until the owners become licensed to use them and
legally register them will keep guns out of the hands of those with ill
intent. Meanwhile, law-abiding citizens will be able to reclaim their
property with no problem. To repeat: no problem.
POLITICIANS
Endorsing a simple, effective, popular and politically feasible
approach to improving gun safety in the U.S. should be a no-brainer for
anyone who wishes to gain or retain political office. This is sensible
gun safety, not “gun control” (whatever that is) any more than the DMV
can be called “car control.”
THE PUBLIC
This solution is good for gun owners, for law enforcement, for
small business, for state and local budgets, and for the general public
who wishes to be safer than they are today from the potential to be
victims of gun violence and accidents. Assuming all of the above will
vote their self-interest, we have a winner, and that winner is…