A Voice Of Wisdom On Gun Violence Lives In North Idaho

During a brief recession in the early 1990s I was doing man-on-the-street interviews.  A fellow bemoaned his job prospects.

“The government gots to do something,” he complained.  It’s a refrain we often hear not only from liberals but from a culture conditioned to rely on Washington as a parent.  Following the latest mass shooting we once again hear calls for government intervention as if it has a large magic wand.  Stand back for a moment and look at the data and you’ll see the United States is actually safer than during my man-on-the-street days.

Also, we’ve already got a great deal in the way of gun laws currently on the books.  Below is a lengthy comment from Brent Regan, Chairman of the Kootenai County Republican Party Committee.  You’ll need to read until the very end to get his very salient point:

“It is time to enact “common-sense” gun laws. Here is my list:

We must make it illegal:

For anyone to ever own a gun if they have ever been committed to a mental institution.

For any felon, even non-violent, to ever own or even touch a gun.

For anyone under 21 to purchase a handgun.

For anyone to buy a firearm from a dealer, or from anyone who sells multiple firearms for a profit, even at a gun show, without government approval.

For anyone to buy a firearm from a dealer without first, under penalty of perjury, answering dozens of questions about the buyer’s suitability to purchase a firearm.

For anyone to buy a firearm without also purchasing a safety locking mechanism to prevent the firearm’s unauthorized use.

For anyone who possesses a medical marijuana prescription card to own a gun.

For anyone to purchase a firearm over the internet without going through a licensed gun dealer.

For anyone convicted of domestic violence, or with a restraining order against them to own a firearm.

For citizens to buy more than 2 firearms a week without being reported to both the federal government AND local authorities.

For a civilian to buy an assault rifle (short, compact, selective-fire weapons that fire a cartridge intermediate in power) or any automatic weapon without extreme vetting, including photographing and fingerprinting, by the government, even if it takes months to complete.

In addition this list of “common sense” laws, the federal government should conduct random inspections of gun dealers and manufacturers to be sure they are keeping accurate records and following the required procedures. If a dealer goes out of business then all their sales records must be turned over to the government. Also, citizens should be encouraged to, and actually report anyone expressing a desire to harm others with a firearm.

That should do it, right? This IS a list of just about everything gun control advocates have been demanding. The problem is that everything on the list is already federal law and was enacted between 1936 and 1998. All these laws, regulations and policies were enacted to “make us safe”.

Do you really believe that we are one law away from preventing lunatics from committing mass violence? Cars don’t cause accidents, spoons don’t make you fat and guns don’t commit crimes. Every moment we focus on what isn’t the problem is a moment lost to solving the real problem.

Note: My business holds a Federal Firearms Manufacturer’s License and much of the information above comes from ATF training material.”

Mr. Regan, I’m told, is also a devout man.  Maybe we need to consider there are other cultural reasons related to violence.  We can start with the breakdown of all we once considered sacred. Including life.