Can we (should we?) do anything in regards to the vendors who sell these guns? Are they responsible for the actions that are commited with the items that they sell?
Think of it this way. If a person has the money, they can buy a car/motorcycle. Even if that person is a fall down drunk who we are pretty sure is going to take that car/bike out on the road and end up killing themself or someone else, can we blame the car dealership?
It isn't the car dealership's job (nor responsibility) to get all nanny-state on it and ensure that the driver of the car is capable of operating the car the way it was intended. We can't fault the person selling the car. They didn't use it irresponsibly; the owner did that. The dealer didn't even sell it irresponsibly. The buyer had the required finances to buy it. The blame rests completely on the driver of the car.
The same is for the guns. If the law doesn't put stipulations on who they can sell to, than anyone with the money who meets the stipulations is good to go. What they do with the gun after it leaves their store is not their concern.
I get it. We're talking guns, not cars. But the throughs behind it are the same. Put the blame where it should be...the one pulling the trigger. If we want to enact laws & stipulations on who can own a gun, and the rules of sale, then let's talk about it and work it out.
Rules of Sale
- All gun sales must be recorded to the person buying, with state issued photo ID, method of payment, date, etc. Serial number of gun is linked to person buying.
- All inventory must be accounted for at all times. A record of all gun serial numbers in inventory is required. During non-business hours, all guns must be secured/stored.
Then we can discuss who is allowed to buy, based on criminal history, mental health, etc. We have very strict laws/rules regarding the sale of substances which are directly harmful. Non-compliance with these laws/rules is a substantial fine at best, if not loosing the business operating liscence or imprisonment. There is no reason why guns can't be the same.
We can come up with real-life, common sense rules here. But the emotional rhetoric on both sides needs to be dialed back. The shootings in Colorado (both of them), Virginia Tech, and the Sandy Elementry were horrible, but we cannot emotionally charge onto the Senate floor and expect to come up with something good....let alone effective.
Because let's remember, we're talking about a Constitutional Right here. This is an actual right which is directly spelled out. If we can "take that right away" through an emotionally charged legislative event, then we have bigger issues and stepped directly on a slippery slope.
~Jeordam
Saving the Princess, Humanity, or the World-Entire since 1985