Enough is Enough!

Enough is Enough!

Enough murder? We have established laws against that now. That doesn’t appear to stop people from killing others. Granted the death penalty is retributive and not preventative in nature, and that’s a wholly different debate. So then what is needed, a ban on all guns? Those are protected by the 2nd Amendment to our Constitution and I don’t think that is going away anytime soon. Any law enacted to ban guns will only affect the law abiding.  To paraphrase Cesare Beccaria, banning guns would encourage rather than prevent murder, as it requires less courage to attack an unarmed person than an armed person.

Then perhaps we need “smarter gun laws”? The laws are smart now. You can’t be a felon, illegal alien, have warrants, restraining orders, or have a misdemeanor conviction of domestic violence. You can’t use or abuse any controlled substances, have been dishonorably discharged from the armed forces, or renounced US citizenship. You must be 18 to purchase a rifle or shotgun, 21 for handguns. The argument advances to more gun laws then? More laws against your rights, laws that a criminal will ignore? “Smarter laws” against how a weapon, specifically rifles, look?

Maybe I could accept bi-annual background checks, but that would burden a system that is already under strain. But hey, more federal jobs! Maybe I could accept raising the purchase age to 21 for rifles and shotguns, but then I’d argue we’d have to do the same for other dangerous things, such as driver’s licenses, voting, filing a lawsuit, military service, getting a tattoo, buying a vehicle, and standing jury duty.

I don’t have the answer, but I have ideas.

Mass shootings, whether at a school, church, or outdoor venue have things in common beyond the weapons used. I hope we can agree that a person that wants to take innocent (or anonymous at least) lives of others have an emotional if not mental issue. So let’s increase mental health screenings for students and medical patients that may have experienced a sea-change event in their lives. A parent, spouse or sibling passing, the loss of a job, or divorce. These can be real triggers to certain people. Flag these events in the federal background check system, enact a 3-month purchasing ban for weapons.

Secondly, I think an architectural solution is in order. Any school that gets federal funding should have controlled access points onto secured school property.  Bye-bye open campuses. At those access points should be metal detectors or wands. Let’s also ensure that backpacks are limited in size and see-through, much like the requirement at professional stadiums.

Lastly, get rid of the “gun-free zones” since they are not working. I’m not sure I want Mrs. Higgins the history teacher or Mr. Hayes in chemistry trying to take down a shooter. There’s too many bystanders in the way which could result in more injured. But there should be well trained and armed persons available always. I could imagine there would be plenty of military veterans that would be more than willing to volunteer their time to roam school property looking for the bad guys. Make them go through a course certified by local law enforcement, give them extra vetting. I’m sure there would be plenty of applicants.