Getting Control of Gun Control

Over on his website, Mark Evanier had a very good article here about why no one should wait around for a Constitutional Amendment to overturn gay marriage, should the Supreme Court rule that way -- or wait around for any Constitutional Amendment.  (As he notes, the last one to pass took 202 years for final ratification, and that was for something totally non-controversial.)

Anyway, within the piece, Mark wrote the following --

“That's why I don't think anyone should waste their time trying to ban assault weapons. They should be passing laws that say that to obtain one, you have to go to another state, be lectured that you'll be taking another human life and then undergo serious anal probing before you get your rifle”

I had to laugh.  A couple of years ago, I wrote the following article for the Huffington Post.  It was a joke, of course, but honestly not 100%.  The more I see anti-abortion states going to such intense length to get around the law of the land, I’m at the point where I almost feel it worth understanding the game being played, and so you compete by the same rules.  So, while I was clearly making a huge exaggeration, the underlying principle I think is spot-on valid

I have an update following the piece.  But first, from March 13, 2015 --

The Good Thing We Can Learn from Anti-Abortion States

I was watching the news the other day, seeing several more stories about how states are continuing to get around the legality of abortion. Though abortion is legal, the states are writing laws to make the availability of abortion near impossible. These could be from zoning laws, or code requirements and medical licensing. As a result, if the ability to have an abortion isn't available to a woman, it doesn't matter how legal it is. You can't get an abortion.

I can only imagine how wrenching this is to women who want to exercise their legal right to have an abortion. Especially if it's for health reasons. But any reason.

After I finished ungnashing my teeth, however, I realized that there's a lesson that can be learned here -- not about abortions, but another issue that's just as divisive. And using those lessons, it would be possible to start making a dent in a problem that the vast majority of Americans are now saying they want addressed.

Gun control.

For the sake of argument, let's say that the most rabid gun advocates and the radical fringe group, the NRA, are right, that the Second Amendment is inviolate and that every American has the right to buy whatever gun they want, no matter how many rounds of ammunition the weapon can fire in 10 seconds.

Using the logic and tactics of the anti-abortion activists, however, there is nothing to say that states -- or even local communities -- can't take that legal right and make it as unavailable as possible.

Some suggestions to start with.

Anyone who wants to sell a gun can only do so in a standalone store that has a business license permitting operation.

Any gun store must also have a separate license to sell guns.

Any license to sell guns is good for only one, specific type of gun.

Any license to sell a specific type of gun is good for only one manufacturer.

A gun store must meet certain zoning and code requirements:

No gun store can be within 1,000 feet of a liquor store, tavern or any establishment that sells tobacco.

No gun store can be within a mile of any school or place of worship.

A gun store shall be licensed to sell guns only. No other merchandise may be sold, including tobacco, alcohol, soft drinks, chewing gum or beef jerky.

A gun store must have at least one bathroom for every employee.

No gun store may operate any electronic food devices, including but not limited to a refrigerator, coffee pot, hot plate and microwave.

A gun store is required to have air conditioning, sound-proofed ceilings, locked cases in which all guns are kept, and be wheelchair accessible.

Only one gun may be removed from a locked case at a time.

Ammunition cannot be sold in a gun store, but must be sold in an ammunition shop only.

An ammunition shop shall be licensed to sell ammunition only, and no other products.

Every box of bullets must be individually licensed.

An ammunition shop cannot be within 1,000 feet of a gun store.

An ammunition shop cannot be within 2,000 feet of a liquor store, tavern or any establishment that sells tobacco.

No gun store can be within five miles of any school or house of worship.

The owner of a gun store or ammunition shop must pass an official test to be personally licensed.

A gun or ammunition store owner license is good for one year only.

The owner of a gun store or ammunition shop is required yearly to take a two-week gun safety course.

The gun safety course must be retaken every year.

A two-day refresher course for gun safety must be taken quarterly for gun store owners.

Any employee of a gun store or ammunition shop must be licensed yearly and take a four-day gun safety course every year.

Any owner or employee of a gun store must have a high school diploma from the state in which he or she works.

No owner or employee of a gun store or ammunition shop may have ever been convicted of a misdemeanor or more than two traffic violations in any calendar year.

Any alcohol-related conviction prohibits someone from selling guns or ammunition for a probationary period of three years.

An owner or employee of a gun store must pass a target score at a licensed gun range each quarter with every gun model the store sells. Failure to pass a minimum score for any gun invalidates all other scores and that employee may not sell guns.

Neither guns nor ammunition may be sold on the Sabbath.

Before selling a gun, the salesperson must get an MRI brain scan and consult with a psychologist to ensure that they understand the full ramifications of their actions.

All owners of a gun store or ammunition shop must offer Affordable Health Care to all its employees.

Update:

A year after I wrote this article, they passed a gun control law in Chicago that, while not of course going anywhere near as far as I quip above, nonetheless followed the same "red state block legal abortion" principle.  You can read about it here.