Guns for Sale

People have been asking me a lot lately what my thoughts are on guns. I wrestled with the idea of guns for a very long time. I finally arrived at this way of looking at it.

I like guns. I think they are aesthetically pleasing in the way that motorcycles are, beautiful because form follows function. They are mechanically and ergonomically elegant.

Colt 1911

Ruger Mini-14

Indian Chief Blackhawk

Telling me guns aren’t sexy is a bit like telling me bacon isn’t delicious. I’m not likely to take anything else you say seriously.

I like shooting. I like carrying. I like to know that I could get my own food if I wanted. When I’m not home, I like to know that my wife or daughter could smoke anyone that broke into the house. And I like to know that if the government ever decides to do what governments will sometimes do, I am in a position to resist. But this is America. You have a lot of freedom here.

In America you have the right to travel wherever you want in the country. You can walk there or even take a bike. But, as soon as you want to operate a two-ton motor vehicle, you need to get a license. Each tier of vehicle, from motorcycles to cars to 18-wheelers to aircraft, requires a more substantial license that requires a greater degree of rigor to attain. The consequences for behaving irresponsibly as you get more rigorous licenses are commensurately high. If not for driver’s licenses and their associated regulation and enforcement, the number and severity of vehicular incidents would likely be enormous. And we probably wouldn’t really notice, considering the cost of the freedom to travel. The government is not trying to limit your freedom to move around. It is trying to keep other people safe. It is filtering and managing the behavior of idiots and assholes who may pose a greater risk to you and your loved ones when in possession of a potentially dangerous vehicle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDdPJY1jDiY
(I haven’t watched this all the way through, so I hope there’s nothing too too bad in here.)

In America you have the right to defend yourself against any danger to you or your loved ones. You can do martial arts or even carry a knife. But, as soon as you want to operate a weapon that can kill by wiggling your finger, you should need to get a license. Each tier of weapon, from pistols to shotguns to rifles to machine guns and cannons should require a more substantial and rigorous license. The consequences for behaving irresponsibly as you get more rigorous licenses should be commensurately high. With an operator’s license and its associated regulation and enforcement, the number and degree of firearm incidents would likely fall substantially. Again, the government is not trying to limit your freedom to defend yourself. It is trying to keep other people safe. It is filtering and managing the behavior of idiots and assholes who may pose a greater risk to you and your loved ones when in possession of a dangerous weapon.

(Same as before, I didn’t watch this all the way through.)

The question arises, “What should be required to get these licenses?” Apart from basic weapons handling and state and federal law evaluation/examination, I would say not much for a basic license. I would add the need for a renewal and a verification of a non-violent criminal record, but that’s it. As you move into more powerful firearms, I don’t think it is unreasonable to require more rigorous testing both in weapons handling and in law as well as a more thorough criminal record check. I don’t think this shuts down the gun trade. I think this removes the chaos and normalizes it.

I think, much in the way that the Messer came to exist in Germany in the middle ages as a “knife” instead of the illegal sword, I am certain that some firearms will inadvertently fall between tiers (or be constructed to be deliberately hard to categorize). I can think of a few now (the kick ass Governor comes to mind), though I’m sure there are many more examples out there. I am certain we are capable of using our good judgment on things like this, but when in doubt, bump it up.

There are other “western” countries in the world where guns are entirely illegal for civilians. There are other “western” countries in the world where most homes maintain an assault rifle. Yet our country seems to be the only one that doesn’t have an active war in its streets that also has a serious issue with guns.

The problem with America’s relationship with the gun is cultural and ideological. The problem is that I know a lot of idiots and I know a lot of assholes. I’m sure you do, too. I don’t want idiots and assholes to have guns. Since I can’t stop them from driving or owning a gun, the least I want is some check on their behavior.

I don’t want a country where every person that can hold a gun has a gun. And I don’t want a country where no one is allowed to own a gun. It’s a complicated issue with no polar answer. As with almost everything, there’s a balance in the middle. Let’s get there so that we can move on to other issues.

– CG

Some resources
Firearm Safety from the NRA
Gun Laws by State
Gun Laws by Nation

Check out these videos