Gun Control: The Solution

The first thing dictators do when they march their armies into the capital is disarm the population. An unarmed population is much easier to control. Next, they take over the newspapers, radio and television stations…controlling the message makes it much easier to control the people. Then they restrict travel. Authoritarian governments keep close tabs on their people…local yokels are easier to control than men and women of the world. Finally, people lose their rights to speech, assembly, due process…And the list goes on.

Access to guns is the first line of defense for a free people who hope to remain free. 100 million or more armed Americans is a force no Republican Guard, KGB, or even Navy SEALS could ever control. We never have to worry about some Julius Ceasar declaring a dictatorship here in America. 100 million armed Americans is a most formidable army. If we hope to remain a free people, Americans can never give up our right to be armed. The right to revolution against an unjust government IS America.

These things having been said—the Second Amendment safe from the feelers, the O’Donnells and the Moores—is there any way to reasonably regulate the manufacture, sale, and ownership of fire arms? Of course. But, like the abortion debate, the problem is extreme and irrational positions taken by both sides in the current debate.

To ban guns of all kinds, like they tried to do in San Fransico [Proposition H] and in Washington D.C., must be unconstitutional. [The Supreme Court published their decision on the DC case a couple of weeks ago, and I was relieved to see that I am right.] But, regardless of the decision, gun bans are not a good idea. When San Francisco passed its gun ban back in 2005, every thug in California packed their bags and moved to San Francisco. It became the one place in California that the armed robber didn’t have to worry about getting capped by a convenient store clerk. Store clerks obey the law: armed robbers don’t. Here in Tennessee, “armed robber” is still a very dangerous job.

For the same reason a “Gun-free safe zone” sign outside of schools is a bad idea. The sign announces to any would-be assailant “if you want to do some random violence, come here! You’ll be the only person with a gun!”

Reasonable restrictions on the right to bear arms regulate who can sell and who can buy fire arms. Without referencing current law [which varies from state to state], I will list objective regulation that should be in place across the country.

1. The following individuals have no right to purchase, own, or even use a fire arm: felons and people with a history of mental illness.

2. People under the age of 21 may not purchase, but may use fire arms under the supervision of a licensed adult.

3. Because some individuals can not legally purchase, own, or even use a fire arm, licensing individual gun owners is reasonable and necessary.

4. It is reasonable to restrict fire arm sales to licensed fire arms dealers accredited to perform background checks on individuals seeking to purchase a fire arm.

5. For law enforcement purposes all fire arms must be registered.

It's just that simple.