Sensible Ideas Involving Guns

I found this on reddit. Original thread here by /u/honeybunchesofpwn.
This is something that I feel should be read.

“Well it depends on what it is you’re trying to solve. If you’re trying to solve highly unique events like what happened in Las Vegas, it’s gonna be difficult.

However, if you want to tackle the broader issue of gun violence, there are some substantial changes we can make that will have a positive impact.

Enforce existing gun laws. Our federal firearm prosecution rates are tragically pathetic, and have been on the decline. Although some progress might be being made.
Improve the NICS background check system. The National Shooting Sports Foundation has been pushing for FixNICS to improve reporting for the sake of improving the actual effectiveness of background checks.
Stop with the “abstinence only” approach to firearm safety. As of now, the majority of the US public gets it’s firearm “education” from TV Shows, Movies, and other media. This is an absolute tragedy, which results in situations where people find a gun and accidentally kill themselves or someone they’re with. In a country with over 400 Million firearms, I have no goddamn idea why we aren’t teaching basic firearm safety in public schools. I don’t like the NRA, but they are the national leaders when it comes to promoting firearm safety education with the Eddie Eagle program.
Promote positive gun culture instead of vilifying an inanimate object. It’s hard to make meaningful legislation on a complex topic when a majority of the people are too scared to even be in the same room as a gun. Irrational fear does nothing positive when it comes to decision making.
Stop taking a shit on gun owners every time something bad happens. You’d also be surprised to hear that many gun owners do have some ideas when it comes to effective gun control, but they often aren’t heard because they’re too busy being blamed for the deaths of innocent children.
Put a safe in every home. Not only would it be a great idea to provide every home with a functioning safe to protect their personal belongings, but it would drastically lower the financial barrier for people to protect their firearms from theft. While I personally do a have a safe, making it a requirement to own prior to purchasing a firearm is a financial burden that some people just can’t afford. Those who are in poor communities also tend to be the ones who are regularly affected by gun violence associated with gangs.
Promote an understanding of existing gun laws, their application, and effectiveness. My home state passed a “Universal Background Check” because it sounded like a great idea. So far it’s been practically ineffective, and has cost millions of dollars. This just comes down to a fundamental difference between theory of law and practical application of laws. Most people who scream for background checks and fixing “gun show loopholes” genuinely don’t even understand what those terms mean, and the practical application of those kinds of laws. Background checks have been around for a while. Making them “bigger” isn’t as important as making them “better” (refer to FixNICS above).
Promote clear language when it comes to firearms. For too long, we’ve had politicians invent madeup terms such as “assault weapons” to blur the lines between legitimate firearm designs. It’s difficult to make legislation on a piece of machinery / technology when the lawmakers can’t even differentiate basic mechanical function. That’s why so much “Assault Weapon” legislation comes down to cosmetic features of firearms, rather than the actual mechanical functioning.
Provide readily available and inexpensive gun safety courses. One idea I’ve always had is to provide a pathway for US Soldiers to become firearm safety instructors once they return home. Soldiers have a pretty strong understanding of firearm safety, and with the right support can become an incredibly valuable community resources for people who want to learn basic firearm safety.
More Police involvement within communities. Personally, I think it’d be great to have Law Enforcement Officers come speak at schools on a regular schedule. Not only could they explain our legal rights as citizens, but they could be great resources for firearm safety education, and how to deal with people who might have violent tendencies.
Healthcare. Mental healthcare is a massive issue, and desperately needs support. I don’t think I need to explain any further on this.
Ending the War on Drugs. Most gun violence is by minorities, against minorities, in a gang related situation. Most of these activities are manifestations of our failed War on Drugs.