BallistiCal
Member
I have watched anti-gunners claim many times that things like standard capacity magazines, short barreled rifles and shotguns, full auto firearms, and the like can't be entrusted to "mere civilians". Whenever somebody points out that police are allowed all these things and more, the rationale becomes that it's okay for police to have them because they have a genuine occupational need for them and have been trained to use them.
This, to me, is tacit admission that the guns, magazines, bullets, whatever aren't inherently any more dangerous than any other inanimate object. What makes the difference is the training and the need. While I strongly believe that nobody should have to justify "needing" a gun to some bureaucrat, I must confess that I wouldn't mind training for civilians be a mandatory requirement to owning a gun. Many might be against it, but the way I see it, if you wouldn't let someone drive a car without a license, why give them a gun without one?
The only philosophical argument against it that I've ever heard is that you shouldn't need a license to exercise a constitutional right. While I agree with that in principle, I don't think requiring a license violates the 2A. "A well regulated militia" in the parlance of the 18th century meant "a well trained and equipped militia". That's why members of standing armies at the time were known as regulars. If a well trained and equipped militia is necessary, then is it so much to ask that a person be required to get BOTH?
I'm not so naive as to think that a law requiring training for prospective gun buyers can't be easily abused by anti-gun politicians. It would be crucially important to legally mandate that a gun license be made no harder to get than a driver's license. But I for one am sick of anti-gunners dusting off the "Cops have training, you don't." routine to justify their bans. Maybe something like this is worth doing if only to give them one less excuse to turn to.
And just thinking WAY outside the box here, what if the license was good in all 50 states? A cardholder could walk into any gun store in the country, regardless of their state of residence, and walk out 10 minutes later with whatever they wanted, and carry it anywhere. I don't ever see that happening, but I can dream can't I?
This, to me, is tacit admission that the guns, magazines, bullets, whatever aren't inherently any more dangerous than any other inanimate object. What makes the difference is the training and the need. While I strongly believe that nobody should have to justify "needing" a gun to some bureaucrat, I must confess that I wouldn't mind training for civilians be a mandatory requirement to owning a gun. Many might be against it, but the way I see it, if you wouldn't let someone drive a car without a license, why give them a gun without one?
The only philosophical argument against it that I've ever heard is that you shouldn't need a license to exercise a constitutional right. While I agree with that in principle, I don't think requiring a license violates the 2A. "A well regulated militia" in the parlance of the 18th century meant "a well trained and equipped militia". That's why members of standing armies at the time were known as regulars. If a well trained and equipped militia is necessary, then is it so much to ask that a person be required to get BOTH?
I'm not so naive as to think that a law requiring training for prospective gun buyers can't be easily abused by anti-gun politicians. It would be crucially important to legally mandate that a gun license be made no harder to get than a driver's license. But I for one am sick of anti-gunners dusting off the "Cops have training, you don't." routine to justify their bans. Maybe something like this is worth doing if only to give them one less excuse to turn to.
And just thinking WAY outside the box here, what if the license was good in all 50 states? A cardholder could walk into any gun store in the country, regardless of their state of residence, and walk out 10 minutes later with whatever they wanted, and carry it anywhere. I don't ever see that happening, but I can dream can't I?