You know the rest of this saying don't you? Say it, or just think it.
"Guns don't kill people . . . people kill people."
This was the National Rifle Association's response to every mass murder in the U.S. for decades. The result of which is the number of such mass shootings and the numbers of dead have escalated beyond control.
It is time we admit that they are right. Guns are just tools. They don't load themselves with ammunition. They don't aim themselves. They don't pull their own triggers. People do those things.
So, it is clear that the NRA has the right of it and therein lies a solution to our problem. Since people kill people and guns are tools that magnify people's ability to kill people, we must keep guns out of the hands of people who would kill. (Sometimes logic is simple, no?)
This means we cannot have unfettered sales of guns to just anyone. We need a robust process that will weed out the killers from those who would use firearms and ammunition lawfully (target shooting, hunting, doomsday prepping, etc.). And the precautionary principle would have us err upon the side of caution. If we are not sure that the purchaser of a firearm or ammunition is not a threat to others, we should deny that purchase until we are.
Just a cursory examination won't do. Every mass murderer, once identified, has neighbors who say things like "He seemed like such a nice, quiet boy." So, just the recommendation of one's neighbors/friends/etc. won't do.
Having a minimum age of 18 or 21 would be prudent. Youths younger than that can go to shooting ranges and receive instruction on the use of firearms and shoot recreationally using borrowed guns. They are not being deprived. Parent's can take their children hunting, using the parent's guns as long as they are continuously and immediately supervised by those parents who would be responsible for their behavior.
Think of the folderol we go through to acquire a license to drive a car. We take written tests to be sure we know the applicable rules and laws. We take a driving test to prove we can actually manipulate a car. There is a time limit on the license you acquire because, well, things change. And, in order to operate a vehicle on public roads, you need liability insurance.
Why would we do less to possess and operate firearms that have the capability of killing dozens of people at a time, much more than a car? If insurance companies were involved, they would have a stake in keeping firearms out of the hands of people who would kill.
And, why would we pass legislation making firearms and ammunition manufacturers immune from prosecution for negligence? If we were to do the same for cars or any other tool or appliance, there would be hell to pay from us voters. Such things would not be allowed in an honest system, as those legal threats help keep the manufacturers on board supporting a healthy firearms distribution system.
If the NRA were to oppose the legislation establishing this solution, a solution bearing their name, then we would know that the transformation was complete, from a recreational firearms association focused on safety, to a greedy marketing arm of the guns and ammo manufacturers who want to sell guns to babies.
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