A cop's gun control plan.

I had lunch the other day with three of Dallas’ finest. We all were doing our morning stop over at Joe’s, a great East Dallas hang out and institution of the highest order when it comes to scrambled eggs, pancakes and coffee.

Being of keen interest in the gun violence issue of the day, I asked the three policemen what they would like to see done with the gun control issue. Recently I have been called every name under the sky for wanting to bring the argument about gun proliferation under control in America. Our friends in other industrial nations who have limited the access to guns have a hugely lower crime rate per capita than we do. These officers knew those numbers and two of them quoted them several times during the conversation. So what can we do and still maintain some sense of reverence to Tom Jefferson’s (who I am slowly coming to see as a dandy and an idiot, as well as very bad grammarian) hallowed 2^nd Amendment?

For the first time, I finally heard an idea that makes clear and concise sense in placing the matter to rest. It has five parts.

First:  Any crime committed on a U.S. citizen with a gun should be a Federal capital offense. Mandatory death penalty regardless if the gun was fired or not. (You put a gun against the head of a person and demand money and you are going to get the good-bye juice.) Notice they said Federal. Why? I asked. “because we can’t trust the states to carry out the mandate we want. Use a gun, give up your life. Pretty simple.” Now, how many wish to go on a shooting spree and hold up the local 7-11?  Can we see a show of hands? (The officers reminded me that most gun-related homicides do not happen in mass killings but rather one and two offs. And a huge number happen during domestic violence. And many of those aimed at officers trying to quell the violence.)

Two: (I actually thought of this one earlier but was ridiculed by people who said it was a bad idea. Well, according to these law enforcement officers, it must have had merit.) Register and title all guns and license all gun owners. You may have as many guns as you wish and they can be of any kind you wish (except for automatic weapons or those outlawed already by federal and state decrees.) If you give a gun to a friend, title must be transferred. (Just like a car.) If you buy a gun, it must have a title. If you go to a gun show and purchase a gun, get the title. And if you have your gun stolen and you do not report it as missing, you are criminally negligent and if it is used in a crime you are an accomplice to that crime. How many hand guns and assault weapons would you like, sir?  You still have your 2^nd Amendment right to own and to use firearms at your heart’s content. But you better damn well make sure they are locked up and safe. And, heaven forbid they are stolen, you must report it immediately. Fair enough.

Three:  Limit to seven rounds an ammunition clip can carry at a time.  (I asked them about the number seven and they all agreed that it seemed like a good working number. One officer suggested six, to match the traditional six shooter depository of bullets, but over all they were comfortable with this limit.)

Four: Increase Federal spending for the mentally ill. (Someone tell Rick Perry this is actually a good thing.  He is slow on the uptake of these things.) Most mass shooting occur when someone off their rocker gets a gun. Let’s get them help before it gets to that point.

Five:  Create Federally and State licensed gun houses (warehouses would be a better term) where people can store their weapons for sporting use and have access to them for target practice, hunting and competition. This, for those who can either not afford an adequate safe or have the room in their apartment or home, to lock up the guns.  If you wanted to travel across country to go elk hunting these gun houses could act as licensed transportation agents for your guns. (By the way, you steal a gun from a licensed gun warehouse…capital offense.  You get the juice.)

Now the officers say they know this will not stop all the gun violence, and it certainly will not stop it all at once. But it will slow down the people rushing to buy as many weapons as they can get their hands on. They now have skin in the game. (Literally.) Almost all gun owners who are members of the NRA and other organizations such as that are law-abiding, respectful citizens. They would approve of such laws. It insures their 2^nd Amendment rights. It does not limit in any way their baring arms. And it makes the act of using a gun in a crime so severe that people will begin to think twice and even three times before pulling iron out to gain an advantage.

One officer even suggested that since the 2^nd Amendment was about the creation and maintaining of a militia, that all gun owners register and take part in semi-annual military training for the country. “Maybe we could put them on the borders for two weeks at a time.”  Not sure if I go along with that idea, but at least these three officers came up with a plan that would begin to limit gun violence and give those who commit crimes with a gun the ultimate penalty. And in the process, they have not touched the 2^nd Amendment. This is far more productive than the clowns at the NRA office have offered.

Under this plan, your guns are safe in your hands. But you’d better make sure they are safe from other hands, if these guys get their way.