General Discussion
Showing Original Post only (View all)I'm all for a total ban on semi-automatic guns [View all]
Total ban. No grandfathering. No exceptions. If you're a police officer, military, or anyone else who routinely carries a sidearm - you check in your weapon at the office, you don't carry it home with you. Eventually I'd like to see us reach a point where police don't need to carry guns at all.
Once the ban is in place, institute an amnesty period where people can voluntarily turn in their semi-automatics. Hell, I'd even support a national buy-back program. We already have private buy-back programs around the country that are highly successful in taking guns off the street. Yes, it would be expensive - but so is the cost of treating gunshot victims.
You can still own non semi-automatic weapons, like shotguns, revolvers, bolt-action rifles, etc. These take longer to reload, and do not have nearly the capacity as today's semi-automatics. Yes, I know there are some "experts" out there who can operate a bolt-action rifle just as effectively and quickly as a semi-automatic. But that is not a skill that an average person would have, just like hitting a bulls-eye target at 100m would be. A revolver or shotgun can be just as effective (if not MORE effective) for home defense than an AR-15 semi-automatic. You can hunt just fine with a bolt-action rifle.
Will this eliminate gun crime? No, but over time it should have a very large impact.
As far as the Constitutionality of this, the 2nd Amendment does specify "Well-Regulated". That's what this is. Enforcing the "Well-Regulated" part.
I know the Gungeoneers on this site will have a field day with my post, I'll be flamed as a "gun-grabber", etc. I don't care. I'm tired of this country being more interested in protecting semi-automatic instruments of death than protecting the rights of Americans to send their children to school, the movies, church, etc without the fear of being gunned down.