Solving Gun Policy in the USA

Potential Solutions

Given our Constitutional right to bear arms, how do we reduce gun deaths in America which now impact our children more than ever before? Some Americans think we need more guns.  That is one option – keep buying more guns.  Some want to take away Americans’ guns.  That’s another option – confiscate guns in the hands of civilians.

However, here’s another option – treat guns like we treat automobiles, which can also be dangerous in the hands of irresponsible people.  Allow people to buy any kind of gun, but require by law that:

• Gun owners pass a test to prove they can use guns safely before they can get a license to own a gun;
• Require gun owners to pass a universal background check before purchasing each gun to ensure they have not lost their gun license or have been convicted of a felony; 
• Document gun sales everywhere they occur (like we do with used car transfer of ownership);
• Require gun owners to have liability insurance specific to the type of guns they own;
• Require gun owners follow local gun safety regulations or lose their license;
• Gun licenses revokable if a gun owner is evaluated to be a risk to themselves or others – aka Red Flag laws – like the Veteran’s Department does to protect their Vets.

Or, per the Constitution, we could require that if someone wants to own an assault weapon, they must join the National Guard and serve within that regulated militia, their assault weapons secured in an armory.

Join in.  Suggest solutions

What do you think?  What could solve our argument over guns in the United States.  Remember, comments must stay on topic and not be defamatory of anyone.  Solutions to problems is what this UNSTUCK Blog seeks.

Additional information is provided below to guide this discussion – Current Situation, Historical and Constitution context.  Given the increased influence of religion in our country at the present time, there is also information on religious perspectives on guns.

Current situation

Today our gun laws have endangered our children where they should feel the safest – in their schools, neighborhoods and houses of worship. If the risk to our children doesn’t wake us up to the fact that America has a problem with guns, what will?  

• In 2024 the USA had 40,886 deaths caused by guns and 31,652-gun injuries (excluding suicides), according to Omnilert.com
• In 2020, gun deaths surpassed motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of death for US children for the first time in our history. Today gun deaths rank #2 for US children.
• America’s gun deaths per 100,000 population at 4.31 in 2021 is much higher than our neighbor Canada (7 times higher than the Canadian rate of 0.57) even though Canadians share our high gun ownership rates.
• We have more guns than people in the USA.  Ammo.com’s self-reporting 2024 survey claims that Americans own over 500 million civilian owned guns, or 1.93 guns per person.  Only 6 million of these guns are registered and gun ownership is concentrated in the hands of a few. Every American doesn’t own a gun.  

History of Guns in America

America has a “gun culture.” Given our history of hacking out of the wilderness our farms and towns, plus our proud history of fighting for our liberty from a tyrannical monarchy and winning World War II, this isn’t surprising.

Until the early 20^th century, America was an agrarian society with over 90% of our people living on farms and ranches.  For the first several centuries in this nation, guns were a necessary tool and not a controversial issue.  However, today 90% of Americans live in cities and guns are not a necessary tool but are owned primarily for personal protection and recreation. 

University of California, Davis documents the history of gun development across the centuries, in this great article that establishes 1944 as the year the first “assault rifle” Sturmgewehr 44 was invented – https://library.ucdavis.edu/exhibit/firearms-history-and-the-technology-of-gun-violence/

“Gun control” began in the wild, wild west during the 19^th century by city and county sheriffs to protect citizens.  https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/gun-control-old-west-180968013/

However, it wasn’t until 1927 that the first Congressional gun control law was passed in America, followed by an increasing number of laws during the 20^th century, culminating in the recent Bipartisan Safer Communities Act signed into law June 25, 2022, by President Biden.  https://www.thoughtco.com/us-gun-control-timeline-3963620 

US Constitution

The 2^nd Amendment states: “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”  Militia is defined as “a military force that is raised from the civil population to supplement a regular army in an emergency” and well regulated is defined as “controlled or supervised to conform to rules, regulations.” 

Gun safety advocates argue that conservatives have misinterpreted the intent of the 2^ndAmendment.  In the past, the Supreme Court decided more than once that the 2^nd Amendment does not preclude us from federal gun control laws (United States v. Miller, 1939).  Since that landmark case however, conservatives and the NRA have argued that the 2^nd Amendment is about individual gun ownership, disconnected from the words in the 2^nd Amendment about “A well-regulated Militia.”

Bible/Religious dogma

Biblically, weapons are not seen as the answer to disagreements – among nations or peoples.

Micah 4:3 “And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”

Matthew 26:52 “Then Jesus said until him, ‘Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.’”