A Point from Da:
Marshall you and I have been pretty much singing in the same choir in our first two episodes of this endeavor but I expect we may sharply differ on the subject of gun control, but I don't know that. I don't recall us ever discussing the issue.
Like a substantial majority of Americans I favor an assault weapons ban, and not just a ban on purchases but a ban on possession with a government buy back program. After such a bill becomes law assault weapons owners should have thirty days to sell their weapons at fair market value to the government. After that time the first offense for possession should result in a misdemeanor conviction and of course weapon forfeiture. A second offense should be a felony carrying prison time.
It's often said that if possession of firearms is criminalized then only criminals will have guns. Under my proposal that is literally true. Anyone having an assault weapon will be by definition a criminal, but they could be arrested before they committed gun violence.
Also like most of our countrymen I support extensive background checks and a waiting period for taking possession of any firearm.
As for the infamous gun show loophole, we should get rid of them, gun shows that is. Anyone selling or giving away any firearm to anyone outside their immediate family should be licensed by ATF to sell guns and must abide by the background check and waiting period laws under penalty of law.
What should our government do with all these weapons of mass murder it has purchased or confiscated? Beat them into plowshares
A Counterpoint from MB:
Well, you were definitely correct w/ your expectation, Ellis.
I've got this long-running thing where if anyone asks if I have a carry permit I basically reply w/ this: "yeah, it's called the Second Amendment."
My first instinct is not to reply to any of the points you've made here but rather to bring up the subject of 3-D printing. Because, with a 3-D printer & a trip to the hardware store, anybody can make a gun. Let me repeat that: anyone can build a gun.
So that begs the question of...should we outlaw 3-D printing? Should we ban this amazing & wonderful piece of modern technology that is saving time, blood, sweat, tears & lives all over Earth?
No, I don't think we should.
And in fact multiple pieces have just come out about the struggles the Biden Administration is having w/ that particular issue w/ their current attempts at comprehensive gun reform.
Then my mind turns to Great Britain.
Just a couple of years ago, the Mayor of London had this to say:
London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced a crackdown on knives Sunday in response to the rising levels of violence in London, which recently surpassed New York City’s homicide rate for the first time.
‘No excuses: there is never a reason to carry a knife,’ Khan tweeted. ‘Anyone who does will be caught, and they will feel the full force of the law.’…
As you may know, Da, London & other parts of the UK, where guns have been illegal for decades, are now dealing w/ the scourge of knives. Stabbings for many years have grown exponentially.
A serious push was even made to do away w/ all knives - even kitchen knives - until common sense prevailed.
Forget a knife, though, what about a baseball bat? Man, I could do some serious damage w/ one of those. Ditto for hammers, large sticks, metal pipes, big wrenches, etc. I could definitely kill some folks w/ any of those.
There is evil in the hearts of men & there's nothing that can be done about it -- other than protecting yourself, ideally w/ guns.
However, to me, this still comes down to a basic lack of stoicism & practicality.
The world is dangerous; it's very easy to die here; we're all going to die someday & nobody ever said life was fair.
I'm tempted to just leave it a that...
Specifically, though, regarding your point (s), I'm not inclined to agree w/ any of them at this time.
But if a bargain could be gotten where we would legalize weed & do away w/ the Federal Reserve banking system, then I might be amenable to addressing the gun show loophole.
Remember: compromise. It's what America was founded on.
P.S. An armed society is a polite society.
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That's how we see it, how about you?
- Ellis Millsaps & MB McCart
