If a person actually reads the constitution and the 225 years of judicial interpretation of that constitution one will understand every right is subject to restriction and therefore discussing any one of those rights will include restrictions on "one that is specifically protected". This "drop the mic" take is meaningless in any intelligent, earnest discussion.
I'm just bringing up another side of the mental health discussion that nobody wants to discuss. I'm all for keeping weapons out of the hands of dangerous people. Dangerous people are dangerous people. If we think someone is dangerous enough to shoot up a school I don't think they should be driving through the school zone.
I think the next thread needs to be about conspiracy theory's. Have some fun with it. haha
Two points. One, mental health was a meaningful portion of OP so it is something I am interested in discussing. Two, if you have points to offer then make them directly and not via shaded rhetorical questions.
What do you think should be done about the hard drugs?I offer the following as appropriate in my mind for a hunting forum given the important role firearms have in hunting, the overlap between hunters and broader "shooting enthusiasts", and my faith in the broad judgment and experience of the HT community. Please keep this civil and please avoid generic anti-Dem/anti-GOP tropes.
I am a 2A proponent consistent with the boundaries of Heller. That being, a person has a 2A right to bear arms for, among other reasons, personal protection. At the same time, like every one of the rights guaranteed under our Constitution, certain carefully crafted regulation is possible.
As such, I grow weary of one side repackaging their wish list as "common sense", and equally grow weary of the other side pointing out all the social ills that are the "real root of violence" but then not funding any programs to address those ills.
In my view, "common-sense" legislation implicitly requires some degree of compromise - a move by both sides to the middle. So, while I know there are folks that will pan each and every idea I suggest below, I do believe if enacted together they could make a meaningful difference in gun violence and suicide while minimizing the overall net effects on the vast majority of gun owners.
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These are in no particular order
- Universal Background Checks for all transfers, sales or conveyances - the only exceptions are (i) for parent to child in presence of parent, (ii) parent to child for hunting where both are participants, (iii) hunting/shooting partner/instructor to partner/student at range or when hunting and (iv) to/from FFL holder
- If after three days the check is not cleared, it can be extended an additional 30 days, but if the individual is eventually cleared, the govt will give them a 25% rebate on the purchase price for the 30 day hassle/delay
- The Fed govt will continue to invest in improved background check databases and functionality
- A fully funded and staffed system for timely restoration of firearms rights for anyone who has not committed a crime where they shot another person and is otherwise deemed safe/rehabilitated
- Self-made firearms may not be made by any person who is inelligible to purchase under the Universal Background Check criterea
- Self-made firearms may not be sold/transferred/conveyed to any other person without proper serialization
- Fed funds provided to states/local govt for law enforcement, prisons, and emergency medical services will be subject to active enforcement, prosecution and sentencing of existing firearms laws.
- Federal red flag system using due process standards similar to civil commitment with timely and reliable return of firearms after the situation no longer supports continued "committment" status
- Strong criminal penalties for misuse of red flag system by those initiating the action
- NFA rules around SBR/shotgun length/supressors/etc are gone - a firearm is a firearm, size, shape, and color have no impact on regulation other than a continued minimum metal requirement
- Fully automatic firearms (FAF) are illegal for any person other than military in course of duties
- Current lawful NFA stamp owners have two years to surrender or render inoperable a current FAF - confirmation of such will generate refund of $200 tax stamp fee and $1,000 for weapon value
- Parts used to assist a non-FAF to perform without independent, discrete and intentional trigger pulls are illegal - bump stocks, forced reset triggers, Glock full auto sear, etc,
- Federal pre-emption for all licensing, permiting, safety and other regulation of firearms
- No state/local/federal firearm registration database
- Continued immunity for firearm/ammo manufacturers/sellers/gunsmith for actions by users provided they are FFL compliant - but they remain liable for manufacturing defects/etc
- Some type of reasonable safe storage requirement when lawful owner is not present
- Banks, credit card companies, and internet companies operating under the Section 230 safe harbor may not discriminate against firearms/ammo manufacturers/sellers/users
- A national carry permit (not just concealed) - basic training class + simple range test + background check - renewed every 10 years - this would be offered in addition to whatever state permits are provided
- The federal govt will regulate marijuana in the same manner it regulates alcohol
- The federal govt will grant clemency and expungement for all marijuana convictions
- The federal govt will provide additional economic development grants to states that also grant clemency and expungement for all marijuana convictions
- All sales of alcohol, marijuana, firearms, ammunition, ammunition reloading supplies, and firearm accessories will be subject to a nationwide 5% sales tax
- All profits of social media companies with more than 1 million users in the US shall be subject to a 10% surcharge
- All current federal funds allocated to marijuana enforcement will be carried over to this new fund
- All sales of illegal drugs will be taxed via a 25% income tax surcharge to be collected by the IRS (I know there will be little collected, but heck it got Capone
)
- These cumulative funds would then be matched dollar for dollar by federal general funds
- 50% of these funds will go improvement of mental health services/systems nationwide, including suicide prevention programs
- 50% of these funds will go to high gun violence zip codes to fund additional economic development, mental health, education and police services in equal measure
That pot is included in the same sentance as alcohol, firearms, and ammunition is ridiculous and shows that old biases die hard. It's a plant.
And you have to process those plants to the point of another product. Kind of like alcohol
Oh you can pick heroin off a plant? Has there been millions of people locked up and thier lives ruined for growing poppies in America?
Out of everything you suggested which one do you think will stop gun violence?
The components I suggested that would have the most impact on violence in my opinion are the mental health and economic funding items. Gun violence (suicide and handgun crime which are the bulk) is mostly a reflection of a lack of hope/opportunity. I said nothing about age restrictions.
