Restricting constitutional feeedoms.

[Audley Strange]

Thing is, whether people like it or not, whether it is a hangover of another age or not (but then so is the entire political system) the discussions around Heller and McDonald vs Chicago do seem pretty clear. There is a tradition from the days of the creation of State Constitutions that allowed people to own arms and that those are protected under private property.

[Jason]

It's an absurd ruling based on interpretations that were incorrect 200 years ago, but are somehow rendered indisputable by the passage of time.

[Tero]

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Why don't we have more of these militias? Should be one in every pub. So they can practice bearing the arms, in the parking lot.

[Audley Strange]

Well I'm going to be charitable to SCOTUS and not consider them a bunch of corrupt money grabbers for the moment, but rather the considered wider implications. Consider that the tradition, unwise archaic as it is, is not only traditional but part of the sense of identity for many people of your nation. As I said before, it is the gun as a symbol of personal liberty and responsibility as a citizen of the state Generations would have taken pride in that. They've been allowed them for centuries, told they had to keep them against tyrants and then suddenly told "No, hand them over." They are not going to, doesn't matter how many schoolkids die.

There are tonnes of gun-nuts who have a hard on for that moment. Perhaps rather than err on the side of potential civil war against armed lunatics they erred on the side of personal freedom (and perhaps cash from armed lunatics)

[Tero]

God country and home. The gun is part of the equation.

[Audley Strange]

God country and home. The gun is part of the equation.

Hardwired in some yes. However, I do wonder if those fit the bill for the families of spree killers.

[Woodbutcher]

Citizens. Not blacks, mexicans, women or white people too poor to count. Only certain better class people..

[pErvinalia]

Good plan! Let's do that!

Let's pretend that this is the land of rainbows and elves and that technology actually existed.

How would you go about implementing that on the estimated 300,000,000 privately held, lawfully owned firearms currently in circulation in the United States?

Lets pretend you recognize a joke when you see one.

[pErvinalia]

...with large anti-tyrannical penises...

I wonder what T has to say about this..

[Jason]

He'd probably go out and find out how a negro is hung, but I'm guessing he already knows.

[Jesus_of_Nazareth]

I would have thought that the "user pays" principal could address much (although not all) of the gun ownership concerns.

Just have a gun ownership levy to pay for the picking up of bodies and guards on school buildings etc......to my mind expecting others to pick up the tab from your hobby is kinda socialist .

Assault Rifles - a levy of $10k a year. for new guns payable 10 years in advance at time of purchase. existing guns taxed annually, and grandfathered in for the first 2 years at $100 dollars a year. failure to pay the $10k tax afterwards treated same as any other failure to pay tax. folks still have the "right" to bear them - if they have the money.

The exception being where they are kept in a secure 3rd party storage area as part of a "well organised militia".The catch being that the leadership of the militia accepts a strict liability for the use of the weapons under it's control - so if one member goes postal they get charged for the crime, even if the shooter don't survive.

Might also want to charge the manufacturers an Assault Rifle levy for inspection and safety testing, the idea being to make them un-commercial to sell.

Plus a mandatory annual contribution towards a gun masscare safety awareness fund - so that when (not if) the next massacre occurs the Govt can run gun safety adds that link the photos of dead people to named companies. "This advert full of dead kiddies has been brought to you in association with ABC Inc etc etc".

Could also require all Assault Rifles to be painted Pink! - and it a felony to change the colour

[Jason]

[Jesus_of_Nazareth]

Brilliant!

[Tero]

Not to mention all the lead pollution. Charge 100 dollars for a box of ammo. These guys are not into recycling.

[Jason]

Well bullets, primers and powder are all consumed, but a lot of shooters reload reusing casings.