Listen, I love my guns. I do. I have several of them and among them is an AR-15 with Red Dot Optic Scope and other fancy equipment. I also have two other Semi-Automatic Rifles, a .45 Pistol,.38 Pistol, 22 Rifle, etc. However, I do think it's far too easy to get my hands on a gun.
For example lets talk about how long it took me to buy my AR-15 and 1,000 rounds for it. First the Gun.I went to gun shop that a guy has in his basement. It's a regular registered store its just in this guys basement. I walked in Shopped around for 45 minutes or so. Made my decision, told the shop keeper which one I wanted. The Shop Keep unlocked the AR from its stand (not all gun shops have them locked). He gathered up its case and paper work (how to break it down, replacement parts etc.). He asked for two forms of I.D. One with a picture. I gave him my Drivers License and My Cars registration. He entered in the information and had approval within 5 minutes. All in all I was there for 1 Hour and 15 minutes, 45 of which was spent by me browsing the store. During that 1 Hour and 15 minutes 7 people walked out with guns. Now the ammo. Anytime I need rounds for my AR-15. I go to a gun show. I buy my entrance ticket (usually $10-$15) I walk up to a vendor with a good price. I hand them cash and walk out. No Checks who I am or anything for ammo.
I'm all for more Thorough checks and balances on gun purchases. I think maybe we should have to register to buy a gun, not to limit the amount of guns we purchase or to track what we buy, but so that licenses can be revoked. You become a suspected Nuisance like the killer in Orlando. Boom, No license to buy. Maybe, there should be more thorough checks to attain a license in the first place. That License should be required for both guns and AMMO. Why? You can 10,000 Ar 15's but if you don't have 1 Bullet you can't do anything but use them as a Club. Also, you should have to renew your License every so often, so that if your status changes you can loose your license.
Lots of people are saying there's a lack of registration, and there is. Why? Because registering stuff in the USA is a pain in the fucking ass. I tried to register my .38 pistol and Literally COULDN'T. Why, because the original person who owned it. My Grand fater BTW. Died. I showed the lady his death certificate and everything and NOTHING. I went into the courthouse on 6 different occasions to try and register it. So first things first with Registration, How about loosing the Bureaucratic bullshit and let the people who want to follow the laws FOLLOW the Laws. Don't tangle us in a web of over complicated bull crap. I mean, yeah maybe the first trip I understand, the serial number tracked back to someone and she needed some proof I didn't steal the gun or something and that was fine, but I presented the death certificate there should have been a way around getting a dead mans signature. So with my Mosen rifle. I didn't even bother trying, Why? because I bought it off of some dude I don't even know. Which comes to another issue.
We literally met in a Lowes parking lot. I handed him my 30/30 he handed me a mosen and .22 pistol we shook hands and walked away. That. That's how guns are traded in the USA. I'm guilty of it. Guess what? It should be Illegal and we both should have gone to Jail or a paid a fine or something. It shouldn't be allowed. Do I abuse it. Well, yeah. I'm not even sure if I'm ashamed about it. It's just the culture of gun owners. Do I think this culture should be changed. Yes. Yes I do. Especially if it means no more mass shootings and hate crimes. (by the way, I'm also in favor of LGBT community, and I don't give a crap where you choose to take a piss, come on in there's room for everyone.) Next up on the list of things I think we need to give a valid reason for the purchase of the gun. Obviously people will lie about this and for %99 of gun purchases it won't matter, but if it prevents 1 suicide in 25 years, then its a worthwhile gun law.
Lots of people say that the USA doesn't require safety training. Not %100 true not %100 false it kind of depends on your state, town, county. That's a local government thing. My Brother in law had to take a course before being allowed to Conceal Carry, I paid a $30 registration fee. EVERYONE, should need to take a Conceal Carry class. Not everyone needs to Conceal a weapon, and not everyone needs to be carrying a gun in the first place. As a gun person I go to ranges and if you knew the IDIOTS out there that have guns, you would be appalled. One instance that is well known in our area, because there was several witnesses. The local Police Department (YES THE POLICE) was at the gun clubs range. They were practicing along side of several of the Gun Clubs members. As one of the officers finished his rounds, a gun club member asked everyone if it were ok for him to retrieve his target to see where his shots landed. The Member walked down range (Down range is where people place targets to be shot) and the police officer started firing at his own target. The target was on the right side of the range and the guy was on the left side of the range. However, this is still SUPER DUMB, and SUPER DANGEROUS. What if he wasn't holding the pistol well and recoil threw the shot off. It's happened to me. The Police officer could have accidentally KILLED the gun club member. Yes, its an etiquette thing, but its also a common sense thing. If your practicing, Don't shoot anywhere NEAR where a person is at. This person, should have known that rule and obviously wasn't properly trained. The officer also showed a disrespect for what guns do. You should always know and never forget how dangerous guns are. Hand a gun to someone who knows what to do with it. Their first movements are check to be sure its not loaded, even if you tell them its not loaded. Why? Because they don't want any possibility of that gun firing by accident. Why? because guns are Dangerous. Gun ranges and anywhere guns are used for practice should be monitored, and you should be monitored so that if you make a mistake like this bone headed officer of the law you should get a ticket. Just like driving a car. His down range shooting while a person was down range checking a target should be the equivalent of getting caught drunk driving. Arrested. Licenses suspended, and classes attended to make sure you're safe to go back out there. You fail the class, you don't get you Licenses back.
Safe Storage. This isn't required, but I bet if you walk into any self respecting gun owners home, You'll find safe storage. Mostly LOCKED gun safes or Cabinets. I on the other hand need to improve life here. But, I am married to a woman who isn't a moron and I don't have kids. I'm sure if she gets pregnant one of the purchases along with Cribs, Changing tables and car seats will be a gun safe.
So, What do I want out of Gun Control. I want it to be harder to purchase a gun. Yes, I said it. I want to have to pay a License fee, and be cleared to buy a gun. ANY GUN. Then when I go to a gun show or a Gun store, I want to be told. It'll be one to two hours for us to run your information through and I want those checks to make sure of several things. I am who I say I am, My License is up to date, I have no offenses that could lead to gun violence, I'm of age, and that well rounded individual that by all intensive purposes can own a gun. I want that check done in several different Bureaus. Think Credit check. I also want the same sort of check done when I buy ammo. Why? without Ammo, you can't shoot guns. This of course wouldn't include those who make their own ammo, because people do that and are efficient at it. however, I think buying the powder and lead and things that people who make their own ammunition also needs to be regulated and checked. Next, I think the backyard sales need to be put into check. Not stopped. I just think they need to be done at a gun shop. I think If you want to sale your gun to some dude you have to go to a gun shop/court house/ (some other place) and have them run the other persons name and make sure it's safe for that person to own a gun. If you're already in Wal Mart parking lot exchanging the gun, Make it so you have to walk into the store and run the persons license before trading the gun. Yes, It will add an hour or two to your deal, but its safer. Trust me. as a gun owner. It's worth my time to make sure the person who I'm selling my gun too isn't planning on taking it to their local elementary school. I want their to be safety courses involved. The courses could be part of getting your license. You have to take test before getting your drivers permit. Nobody bitches about those. I keep using this example, because I think the purchasing and ownership of firearms needs to be regulated in the same way as vehicles. Maybe not checks and balances on if your gun is safe, but it needs to be regulated similarly. If you're a responsible adult gun owner, you shouldn't have a problem with any of the above. Yes, it's going to mean a little more time is going to spent making sure you can use your right to bare arms, but it also makes us safer and makes us more responsible as a group.
So, What Do I NOT want out of Gun Control. I don't want to be told how many guns I can have. Why? because if you're able to pass all of the regulations that it takes to get a license then it shouldn't matter if you have 1 gun or 100 guns. I don't want to be limited to what type of gun I own. Yes, AR-15s are dangerous and can shoots lots of rounds, but you can customize magazines to make pistols just as dangerous. Leave the AR-15 alone people, it wasn't the gun. It was the crazed homophobic holding the gun that killed the people in Orlando. I don't want the Government coming in and taking guns from me. Lets put this clear. NOONE even the most hated politician alive has ever said they wanted to do that. Shut your redneck mouths and listen. The Government (at this time) is not coming after your guns. So your threats of "Let them try" are doing nothing but confirming that you shouldn't be a gun owner. I don't want to pay extra taxes because I'm a gun owner and I don't people coming up to me calling me a Biggot, because I like the way a gun handles or smell of gun powder, or the smell of oil and lube on a Saturday evening cleaning up my stuff. So stop blaming the guns and gun owners for the mass shootings its not fair. the same people who are saying BAN GUNS all gun owners are asshole are also saying Don't let the actions of one Muslim represent all Muslims. On one hand their right. Just because the guy was muslim or that the radicals in the IS are Muslim or that the attacks on 9/11, Paris, etc were done by Muslims Do not mean that every single Muslim you meet is a bad person. That's just not true. On the other hand they're trying to condemn Gun owners for owning guns. Why judge me as a bad person, or a racist, or homophobic because I like guns. I'm not a bad person (Well I am, but i don't plan on shooting anyone including myself) I'm not racist. I didn't even know racism was a thing until I was like 14 years old. Who gives a shit what you look like, your a person right? I'm also not homophobic. I don't care what you do with your body, I don't even care if you happen to look at me and think I'm kind of sexy. Thanks for the compliment dude, Sorry I got a wife and not interested in any thing you got to offer in that department, but we can hang or piss beside each other.
time to step off my soap box.
