This has been a hot topic since the Newtown, Connecticut school shooting. The mere idea of any gun control law stoked a fire everywhere.
On one side you have those who want more gun control laws, and on the other you have those opposed to it, and as with any society/political issue, you have extremists and conspiracies everywhere.
In fact, gun control law and discussions/debates/fights around it is a political madhouse…
Gun Control Law In Debate
Watch these three videos, each from the point of views as I can see best about gun control law.
On one side, we have the point of view, for taking away all guns. Piers Morgan, as you’ll see in the 3rd video didn’t make any friends, but to be fair he did make a valid point, that other countries who [by choice] did away with guns have far less deaths.
Probably in the middle of the line here is Jesse Ventura who made some very valid points, one of which I agree with – that people kill people, and if it wasn’t a gun, it would be something else.
And who can forget the petition to deport Piers Morgan and the interview with Alex Jones. And to be fair here, I’m not a fan of Alex Jones in any case, however you can’t argue against insanity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXGFDwhCjtQ
So where is the other side of this gun control debate? For that we turn our attention to New York…
New Gun Control Law Passes In New York
Just released this morning, New York lawmakers agreed to pass the toughest gun control law in the nation and after having scoured every resource at my disposal this seems to be the most common sense approach.
You can check out the full story here, but let me summarize what’s in it.
What In The New Gun Control Law?
I’m going to skip all of the political ‘point-making’ here and get to the nuts and bolts about a new law that will most likely set the precedent for the rest of the country.
- Under current state law, assault weapons are defined by having two “military rifle” features – this proposal would reduce it to one feature.
- Current owners of those guns will have to register them.
- Private sales of assault weapons to someone other than an immediate family would be subject to a background check through a dealer.
- New Yorkers also would be barred from buying assault weapons over the Internet.
- Failing to safely store a weapon could lead to a misdemeanor charge.
- Ammunition magazines would be restricted to seven bullets, (currently 10), and current owners of higher-capacity magazines would have a year to sell them out of state, or face a misdemeanor charge if caught with a magazine bearing more than 7.
- Stores that sell ammunition has to register with the state, run background checks on buyers of bullets and keep an electronic database of bullet sales.
- If a therapist believes that a mental health patient made a credible threat to use a gun illegally, they would be required to report it to a mental health director who would have to notify the state, and that patient’s gun could be taken away.
- Sentences for gun crimes including the shooting of a first responder has been increased.
What’s my take?
As far as gun control law can go, it’s not perfect, however I like the approach.
Tougher gun restrictions and penalties that doesn’t take away the second amendment, higher restrictions and penalties on ammunition, stricter requirements on the mentally unstable AND the wards/doctors that are responsible for them while in their care… still missing better protection for where kids congregate (schools, playgrounds, etc.), but um… Not a bad start.
Thoughts? Leave a comment below…
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