Gun Control Reform Activism

You cannot wave away the legal requirements, no matter how inconvenient or aggravating. There are a multitude of suggestions that would make our society much safer, more orderly, far less offensive and bigoted, etc., that are simply and unquestionably illegal. Liberty and freedom are very messy and often uncomfortable to many.

The issues are debated in great part because many of the recommendations to protect the public may be or are clearly not lawful. As to who cares, apparently very many, if not the clear majority of Americans, care very much if the proposals by you or others infringe on Constitutional rights.

Rather than lament that the law may get in the way of your ideas, why not try frame your suggestions with the obvious and acknowledged limitations imposed by the Constitution. Alternatively, of course, you are free to advocate the repeal or change of the Second Amendment. However, all the amendment does is limit restrictions on firearms. The amendment could disappear tomorrow, and all that would accomplish is allow Congress or the states to pass greater restrictions. Since most states have generally supported liberal firearm laws and Congress cannot reach consensus on even Constitutional universal background checks, not much would happen in the even of repeal except that the few states with severe restrictions could possibly ban firearms, at least to the extent their own state constitutions and Second Amendment analogs permit such action.

You are the one who wants additional restrictions. Hence, you bear the burden of not only proposing ideas that pass Constitutional muster, but also can achieve sufficient popular support to become law.

As for my suggestions, you already read some. I personally have no objection to clear, non-arbitrary and universal licensees to carry weapons, proof of basic proficiency and knowledge about firearms and self-defense laws, and even universal background checks so long as no registration lists are or can be maintained by the government. If you want to encourage better behavior like safe storage, incentivize it, as I mentioned earlier. I also think the government could do a better job of enforcing the numerous laws already on the books, and will glady support even harsher sentences for the criminal misuse of firearms.

More importantly, I believe the best method to reduce firearms deaths is to stop focusing on the object, and deal with the underlying problems. For instance, a very large portion of firearms deaths are from suicide. It matters very little if someone kills themselves with a gun or other method. Accordingly, better mental health services and financing would help many Americans, and it would not be limited to just firearm issues. Similarly, a better social welfare safety net could provide opportunities and options to many of those who criminally use firearms (primarily young men) before they embark on a life of crime and violence. A reevaluation of our drug laws, and the resultant reduction in the criminalization of much of our populace, certainly couldn't hurt.