A GUN IS JUST LIKE A CAR

The NRA defense that a gun is just like a car, I agree!  Let's talk about that for a minute.

A gun is just like a car.

That means you need insurance, training and a licence, to start with.

The gun/car needs to be registered to you.  It is true that criminals will still have stolen guns, just like they have stolen cars!

A lot of guns used by criminals illegally, in the commission of crimes, come from burglaries.  So if all the legal guns are registered, and we know where it came from, we will be able to tie more crimes together.  An added bonus to the "treat the gun as a car" plan!

And how come people that own guns aren't required to have insurance?  I can't drive a car without insurance?

So let's have insurance.  Let's have it be based on need and what kind of weapon it is, and so forth.  Adults can hold licence and insurance for minors, if they want to have their kids be armed.  Maybe a minimum age would be good, and they would have to attend and pass the safety courses themselves.  And if they buy ammo, track use of it and not stockpile it.  (That is a little different than a car, but not really.  The ammo is like gasoline.  You can't store unlimited amounts of gasoline forever, in any way you want, either.)

How is it not fair or taking away your rights to require that you are responsible for your weapon, are certified to know how to use it safely, and that it is registered to you with the state through an agency like the Department of Motor Vehicles?

Keep your guns, even your semi-automatic handguns. (Assault rifles I think should be for rent only at specially designated shooting ranges.) Have as many as you'd like.  But I'd like for you to be required to use them once a month or so.

Moreover, what ever the limits on ammunition are, I want to see you use your ammo before it expires in effectiveness.

 Let's compare the limits on ammo to a "gas tank".  And let's compare the ammunition to gasoline. (A gun really is almost exactly like a car!)

Every kind of gun and gun owner can get a reasonable supply of ammo for their needs.  But it does need to be accounted for, and no stockpiling.  Not just because of the potential if it is used to kill a lot of people, but also because we don't need any gun accidents from stale ammo.

If you are going to fire your weapon, let's make sure ammunition works.  And like gasoline ammunition itself is a dangerous substance, and needs to stored carefully and professionally.  In the case of a car the gas goes bad and your car won't start unless you add some STP or something.  But if the ammo is bad you could have an even more dangerous situation on your hands than whatever made you fire your weapon to begin with!

And cars are required to be tested and smog checked once a year.  Let's see your guns, every now and then, even if you aren't buying ammo and using it at the shooting range.  The same way we check cars once a year to make sure they are safe, and also that illegal modifications aren't being made.

A gun is not a car, really, even though we can compare many aspects.  The aspect where the gun exists as a tool or vehicle for only one purpose: to do bodily injury, cannot be compared to anything else.

So we do need a background check. The same regulations need to apply to all gun sales, private party or through a dealer.  Same waiting periods.  No exceptions.

 It is true that a rampaging killer could get a car to do some damage, but with all the armed citizens about we won't need to worry about that for long.  Besides, if cars become the new weapon of choice, the NRA can counter by demanding background checks for people to drive cars.

I am glad that we have that all settled then. Thank you, NRA supporters, for bringing this up so often, about how many deaths occur due to cars, and how a gun is a tool, just like a car.   I see now that you are right.

http://www.demandaplan.org/take-action

(EDIT: A car requires all of these things, and it is not even under Constitutional Debate!  And even if you take the interpretation of the Second Amendment to mean that Forefathers meant for the people to always be prepared to make revolution, it also states "well-regulated" Militia.  There does have to be some checks and balances on things.  Some place for debate and discussion to take place between the sides, before one group or another decides to become an active Militia.  What is stop to the Adam Lanza's and James Holmes from ganging up together?  We better hope they are mentally ill.  Because right now you have a whole lot of Travis Bickle's running around.)