Let's Put The Arms Makers Out of Business

Yesterday One Hundred and Three Americans were shot. Today we seem to be blaming everyone from The Islamic State to Donald Trump. Don't you think that fixing the blame might take second place to fixing the problem? What problem should we fix: should we fix ISIS or Donald Trump, maybe we need another layer of law, how about making it harder for bad folks to get implements of destruction, or maybe all of the above? Not easy to decide? Well yes, it is a problem with many parts, but I think we should start with the thing that does the most and does it quickly.

Let's start by getting guns off the streets and out of the hands of angry people? We have always come up against the "second amendment types" and the supposed power of the National Rifle Association whenever anyone suggested the end to American gun culture and a reduction in the number of guns in America. The Second Amendment to the Constitution was originally written to regulate State Militias and can easily return to that interpretation with a little help from the courts. Even if we don't get immediate help from the judiciary, we must let them know what we think they should do.

The NRA is a different problem. In reality there are only 5 million members of the NRA, only 5 to 7 percent of Americas gun owners. Their real power comes from check writing and lobbying Congress to prevent real gun death prevention and legislation. Yes, your congressman and mine are listening to the NRA instead of to you! Fixing the NRA problem will require voters input and enough of it to drown out the idiots who think more guns are the solution to crime perpetrated by criminals with guns. The only way that argument works is if you pile the additional guns atop the perpetrator.

(Place Perp Here)

I think that Australia had the right idea. When there are too many guns for safety just remove them. The Australian solution will cost money to buy back the guns and it will mean the end of the gun industry as we know it. I know that lots of people worry that arms manufacturers will starve if they have only military and legitimate hunters and law enforcement to sell to. Remember that their greed costs the United States approximately 32,000 gun injuries and deaths every year. There are over a million AR 15 assault weapons currently in use in the US and an unknown number of other assault weapons that have been sold here. US arms manufacturers made 3.9 million pistols in 2014 (the last year with statistics). That might be profitable for them, but what value would we put on that 32,000 casualties from gun violence each year.

I'm ready to work for a country with fewer guns, how about you?