I have often heard the antis bleating that “we register cars, why not guns”, and it might surprise people to know that I’m perfectly willing to go the “license and register guns just like cars” route.
Under this plan, gun safety and handling courses will be available to all students 15 and over in the public schools, and kids will be encouraged to take Carriers’ Ed. Also, when they turn 15 they will be eligible for their learner’s carry permit which will allow them to carry concealed as long as they are under the supervision of a licensed adult.
Parents will be especially happy because when their kids take the class, mom and dad will get a break on their homeowner’s insurance premiums. A natural spin-off of this new system: schools and employers will routinely provide convenient, safe gun storage for students and employees just as they do now with parking lots.
Naturally, when someone turns 16 they will go right down to the State Department of Guns and Ammo to get their license to carry. They’ll take the written and practical tests and, whether they took Carriers’ Ed or not, if they pass the tests they’ll get their license on the spot.
Needless to say, about 90% of teens will get their license the first or second time they test. The proud new carriers can then go out and buy their first carry gun. Heck, if Mom and Dad can afford it, some kids will get their first weapon as a 16th birthday present.
Of course this also means that a permit to carry will be valid in every state and mala prohibita restrictions on possession and carrying (ammo restrictions, magazine capacity limits, Evil Black Rifle bans, etc.) must be clearly posted throughout the jurisdiction just as speed limit and stop signs are now.
In the event that you do wind up with a violation it can almost always be dealt with by paying a relatively small fine (either by mail or in person) and will not involve losing the weapon. Likewise a cop can’t just arbitrarily stop you and ask to see your license, absent an underlying visible violation.
The new registration scheme will be a boon to entrepreneurs who will be able to invent, manufacture and sell any sort of gun or accessory they think customers will buy. There will be no local, state or federal agency that can come in and arbitrarily shut a dealer down because when filling out a form a customer put ‘Y’ instead of ‘Yes’. In fact, there won’t be any legal requirement to maintain any sort of form at all.
With the “register them like cars” plan anyone can walk into a gun dealer, plunk down cash and walk out with any gun they want, no questions asked (besides name and address for the registration). Registration fees will be minimal (no more than 1% of the weapon’s value) and will be used to build, maintain and upgrade public shooting ranges that are widely available and free to use.
Of course if you are only going to be using the weapon on private property you don’t need to register them at all and they don’t need to be “street legal”, meaning silencers, machine guns, mortars, bazookas, RPGs, MANPADS etc. are A-OK.
Sure, I’m willing to go that route. Is The Brady Campaign?
