07-13-2022, 06:09 PM
(07-13-2022, 05:53 PM)Lucidus Wrote: I feel there are obvious examples that would preclude gun ownership, such as:
Anyone who has previously committed a crime where a gun was involved.
I know you're in the UK, here this would normally be covered by a felony conviction. Although in Los Angeles our "progressive" DA has routinely been charging minors with a misdemeanor for being in possession of a concealed handgun (the crime is a "wobbler" meaning it can be charged as a felony or misdemeanor based on the preference of the DA). I've personally seen easily over two hundred cases of this in the past two years, and that's a drop in the bucket.
Quote:Anyone diagnosed with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia.
This is largely already the case. I'm not familiar with the all the variances between states though.
Quote:Anyone who has been found to have made credible threats towards the public.
This one is a bit more nebulous. The 1st amendment protects a ton of speech that can result in jail time in the UK. You'd really have to be more specific here.
Quote:I also think gun ownership should require testing, a license and liability insurance.
Testing is the case in many states. A license in some, such as Illinois, but I have a feeling that's going to fall after the recent SCOTUS ruling. Insurance is an absolute non-starter. You cannot place a monetary requirement on a constitutional right. Again, within your positions there is a ton of wiggle room that would have to be ironed out and clear boundaries set before it would even begin to pass constitutional scrutiny.
I recognize that my familiarity and comfort with firearms, being raised in a family on which both sides have very long standing military backgrounds gives me a completely different perspective on their ownership. My grandfather gave me my first gun on my 11th birthday (M1 carbine he brought back from WW2), I've been taught how to safely be around and/or use them most of my life. I understand that is not the case for many people and I understand their trepidation about firearms, especially given the deluge of hyperbolic information on them spewed by much of the media. So, I'm always happy to discuss the subject with someone who is genuinely willing to inquire and learn more.
