Seven Achievable Things We Can Do Right Now To Reduce Gun Violence

If Only Some Gun Control Advocates Are Willing To Be Reasonable, Lives Can Be Saved

Instead Of Passing New Laws We Could
Try Tweaking And Enforcing Current Laws

Every time we experience a high profile shooting, gun control advocates roll out the same proposals – most of which stand no chance of passage, and many of which are unconstitutional.  The courts are increasingly striking down gun laws on constitutional grounds.  Indeed, Washington D.C. concealed carry licensing law – which required applicants to demonstrate “good cause” for the issuance of a permit – was ruled unconstitutional by the D.C. Court of Appeals, meaning that the district will now become a “shall issue” state, meaning that anyone meeting the requirements will have to be issued a permit.  Gun control groups begged the district not to appeal to the Supreme Court, because they greatly feared that they would lose, requiring the remaining seven hold out states to adopt shall issue concealed carry.  The reaction of gun control advocates?  Increasing calls for the repeal of the 2nd Amendment.

Yet the chances of this happening are essentially zero.  Public opinion is moving in exactly the opposite direction.  By a wide 51 to 29 percent margin, more people say a gun in the house makes it safer rather than more dangerous (Washington Post/ABC News). 

 In 2000, a Gallup poll showed public split 35 to 51 percent on whether guns make the home safer  or more dangerous.  This is a huge reversal in just 16 years.  Perhaps that is why so many guns have been sold in the last 20 years.  One more indicator reveals just how hard it will be for gun control advocates to get their way.  According to a January 18, 2013 Rasmussen poll, 65% of Americans see the 2nd Amendment and gun ownership as an important protection against tyranny.  Even worse for the cause of radical gun control, 57% of people living in homes without firearms see it the same way.  I highly doubt that after all the political events surrounding the recent election that fewer people believe that private firearms might be needed to stop a tyrannical government - I think it is likely more people see the kind of restrictions many gun control advocates are pushing as dangerous.

Given the above, if gun control advocates and their allies in the mainstream media think that they will be able to ban guns currently legal, they are not thinking rationally.

So, does this mean that nothing can be done?  Of course not!

If gun control advocates are willing to look at the facts, and admit that gun rights advocates have some good ideas too, then there are things that we can do that just may reduce gun violence.  Indeed, I found it quite easy to come up with seven steps that gun rights activists would likely not oppose, each of which would have positive effect.

1) Fix the background check database by increasing the reporting of persons currently forbidden to own guns.  Too many prohibited persons are simply not in the database.  This means that a prohibited person stands a good chance of passing a background check.  Both the NRA and the gun industry association (NSSF) want an accurate database - and have been working to make this happen.

The President of the NSSF Talks About How To
Fix Our Broken Background Check System

2) Aggressively prosecute prohibited persons who lie in an attempt to buy guns through legal channels.  The second half of the problem is that even when criminals are denied firearms, only a tiny fraction of 1% are ever prosecuted.  As a result of this non-prosecution policy (Obama's nominee for ATF director told Congress that such prosecutions were "a waste of resources" - so yes, it was a policy) - criminals are free to attempt to buy a gun through legal channels with essentially zero risk of going to prison.  If we prosecute such people, this will be discouraged.  They still could obtain guns illegally, but at least we have closed one door.

Sen. Ted Cruz On Both The Flawed Database
And The Lack Of Prosecutions

3) Aggressively prosecute “straw purchasers” who lie on the form and buy guns for prohibited persons.  Again, this is something that the NSSF has been working to stop for a long time.  In fact, they have worked with the ATF to inform the public of the consequences of acting as a straw purchaser (see video below).  The problem is that these cases are seldom prosecuted and when they are, jail time is rare.  Remember, most straw purchasers are not hardened criminals and many would be deterred by the threat of prison.

An ATF/NSSF PSA Aimed At Discouraging Straw Purchasing

4) Open the background check system to private sellers on an optional basis.  Many private sellers would take advantage of such availability when selling to strangers.  Remember, that it is a serious crime to knowingly sell a firearm to a prohibited person.  Conducting a background check would be a bulletproof defense (pun intended).  As long as it is not made a requirement, there would be little opposition.  Right now, federally licensed dealers are not required to conduct NICS background checks on private party sales.  To quote the ATF's manual on the subject, "Facilitating private sales is purely voluntary under federal law."  This law should be changed to require federally licensed retailers to conduct such checks for a set fee and protect them from liability.

5) Expand “shall issue” licensed concealed carry from the existing 43 states to all 50 states. 30 years of experience has proven that licensed individuals are not a threat to public safety (official stats from the two states that keep them show that they are more law abiding than police officers) and can actually be beneficial.  Many cases can be cited to prove this.  Clearly there are details to be worked out, including minimum training standards, but unless humans are different in the remaining 7 hold-out states there will be no bloodbaths - in fact; some could be prevented, along with many other crimes.

The Facts About Concealed Carry Permit
Holders Are Unknown To Many Americans

6) Subsidize advanced training (through police agencies) for permit holders and applicants.  This would enable the poor  - who are more likely to be targets of gun crime – to obtain carry permits, as well as providing the training gun control advocates advocate.

7) Implement “project exile” nationwide.  This pilot project was able to significantly reduce the number of drug dealers carrying guns.  The plan is two fold: First, embed ATF agents within local police agencies where they can co-investigate crimes and bring gun charges against criminals.   Second, upon conviction, imprison the criminal in the federal system far away.  In the pilot project, criminals who could deal with prison time in their home state were significantly deterred by the threat of serving time far away from home and family.  As a result, they stopped carrying guns; and firearms violence dropped.  Attorney General Sessions has already committed to expanding the program nationwide.

A Brief Report on Project Exile

I'm sure that many gun control advocates will still insist upon pushing for their ultimate fantasy of a gun free America - but that is what it is, a fantasy completely disconnected from political reality and the reality of human behavior.  Let's not go down the same useless path of name calling and frustration.  Let's do something positive - and let's do it together.