After reading the gun control thread, I decided to create my own thread.
PROHIBITION: Since you're on a hooker board, you should all know that prohibition drives the cost up and makes people work hard to get what they're looking for. If owning ALL firearms were prohibited, then they'd eventually become more scarce and the cost would go up. Many criminals are poor, lazy, and/or stupid. Some "outlaws" would still get guns, but it would be harder and riskier. It would have a small effect, but this is barking up the wrong tree.
Besides, NOBODY is proposing an outright ban.
The new assault weapon ban proposal is just moving the "line" slightly. It might have a small effect. But this is still barking up the wrong tree. Especially because firearms are DURABLE, unlike other prohibited goods or services.
Ammunition, however, is CONSUMABLE. Lead, brass, gunpowder, etc. But what's really difficult to make in your shed are the primers. The sale of explosives should be controlled, and the control on gunpowder and primers is too lax.
2ND AMENDMENT: Where was your well-regulated militia when the kids were gunned down? I propose that every gun owner must perform 4 hours mandatory guard duty per weapon owned. If you own 3 guns, that's 12 hours per year. Failure to perform your required guard duty (under supervision of local law enforcement) will result in a fine. Second offense will result in a large fine. Third offense will result in the surrender of your weapon. Failure to surrender will result in a felony warrant.
Freedom isn't free and the cost of ownership should be standing watch, or buying your way out of it. Instead of paying $5-10 Billion more in taxes every year to put a police officer or two in every school, we'd have ten times as many armed citizens less than 60 seconds away to protect schools. This cuts the response time, increases manpower, solves the problem, incentivizes ownership of fewer guns, and creates a mechanism to separate the GOOD gun owners from the BAD gun owners.
I propose nothing less than a well-organized militia to protect what we care about most.
NRA: They stalled, then blamed video games and crazy people. Guess what! The rest of the world has video games and crazy people too! But we don't see the body count racked up by a lone gunman until we have American style gun laws and certain types of military-type guns. Remember what gun Dirty Harry used? Remember what gun John Wayne used? Remember what guns police used in the 1970's? 6 shot revolvers were the norm for decades...until BAM! We've got civilian guns with military quick reload/quick shot technology in large numbers at low costs. (Don't even Model 1911)
Some say that a gun is no different than a bat or a hammer. Explain how the Sandy Hook shooter could have racked up that body count in that time with those weapons. Apples and oranges, dude.
The NRA is a master at stalling tactics. Here's how to reverse that. When they say, "Now is not the time to talk about gun control." you say "OK." Then you make a countdown chart. You count down from 100 victims in these mass murders until you reach 0 before you meet them at the negotiating table. As the body bags stack up, the numbers count down, and the NRA's leverage wilts.
THERE IS NO LAW UNTIL THE LAW IS THERE:
We have millions of guns. We have millions of good gun owners. But we still have thousands of people shot and killed with guns every year. Why? Because many gun owners keep their guns safely at home locked in safes or just fondle them/drool over them/ jack off looking at gun porn. They stay far, far away from where they may be needed. Again, where were you when those kids were gunned down? Where was your gun? You weren't standing guard at Sandy Hook. You weren't standing guard at your local school. Why not?
MENTAL HEALTH: There is a clamor to keep guns away from crazy people. We don't want unstable, insane people to have guns. But that is YOU. YOU are a mood swing away from being ANGRY. YOU use drugs. Why should we let a person that sometimes drinks alcohol and sometimes gets mad have a gun?