Gun Control Now

1. End The Gun Show Loophole

The gun show loophole refers to the fact that federal law does not require background checks on sales from unlicensed sellers including online or at gun shows making it easy for a prohibited person to acquire a gun. Though this federal law applies to many situations outside of gun shows, gun shows are of specific interest as they are popular places to purchase firearms and guns purchased at gun shows are disproportionately used in criminal activity.

Ending the gun show loophole can be achieved by specific policies targeting gun show sales or by more general policies such as requiring universal background checks for all firearm transfers.

2. Universal Background Checks

Federal law requires background checks on all gun sales from licensed firearm dealers to ensure that gun buyers do not fall into one of the categories of people prohibited by law from having a gun. But the law does not require background checks on sales from unlicensed sellers, including online or private sales making it easy for a prohibited person to acquire a gun.

Implementing universal background checks would require the implementation of federal law which would require background checks for all firearm transactions.

3. Increase Mandatory Waiting Periods

Under current federal law, there is no waiting period (time between when you want the gun and when you get it) requirement for the purchase of guns. Introducing a waiting period gives law enforcement additional time to perform an accurate background check and create a “cooling off” period to prevent acts of violence or suicide attempts.

4. Age Restrict High Capacity Firearms

Under federal law, licensed dealers cannot sell or deliver handguns to individuals under age 21 or long guns to those under age 18. This is problematic as firearm homicides and violent crimes disproportionately involve individuals under age 21, both as perpetrators and as victims. Additionally, there is a strong association between firearm availability and suicide. To reduce firearm violence for individuals under 21 law could be introduced to prevent sales of long guns or high caliber rifles to persons aged under 21, similar to that of handguns.

5. Mandatory Gun Insurance

Mandatory gun insurance on a federal level would require gun owners to purchase insurance for any firearms they decide to buy. This would act in a similar way to mandatory car insurance where rifle owners purchase coverage for scenarios such as accidental shootings or self-defense. Though not directly limiting gun sales, the higher cost of gun ownership would lower the number of gun purchases while helping to negate the financial harm of gun violence by raising revenue to fund programs to reduce gun violence.

6. Mandatory Community Support Letters

Firearms can and do affect all individuals of a community and the overall sense of safety. Similar to how applying for a job requires references to ensure employees are appropriate so too should the responsibility of owning a firearm. This form of gun control would involve young persons such as those aged under 21 to require letters of reccomendation from adults within the community before being able to purchase a firearm. These letters help to decrease the liklihood that an unstable or irresponsible individule attains a firearm.

7. Extend The List of Banned Firearms

It is not legal to own mortars, nuclear bombs, tanks, or anti-air missile defense systems. Some firearms, like the aforementioned extreme weapons, serve only the purpose of killing as many humans as possible. By adding these weapons such as the AR-15 to the list of banned firearms it limits the amount of gun violence people can commit against each other.

8. Mental Health Evaluations

Introducing mandatory mental health evaluations for all firearm purchases at a federal level would help to decrease the amount of mentally unstable people who own firearms. These health evaluations could also be required at periodic intervals i.e. every 2 years similar to how doctors have to renew their medical licenses. This would help to keep firearms out of the hands of mentally ill people and those who develop mental illnesses at different points in their life.

9. Extensive Licensing Process

When you apply for a driver's license you have to sit and pass both a practical and theoretical test to help prove you are a responsible driver. This ensures a higher quality of drivers which reduces the dangers of driving. The same process can be applied to firearm ownership where owners have to sit and pass both practical and theoretical tests. This would help increase the number of responsible gun owners leading to fewer accidents and gun violence.

10. Gun Buyback Program

A gun buy-back program is a government program that pays gun owners for their firearms without any risk of prosecution. Merely having an optional gun buy-back program makes it easier for gun owners to hand over unwanted guns thereby decreasing total gun ownership and the risk of gun violence.