Earl McDowell
Member
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2007
- Messages
- 10
It is Earl Again. I began writing my suggestions on Thrusday and suddenly it disappeared. Thus, this will be an abridged account of my suggestions.
On August 28th I attended the event, "Bury our Guns: Not Our People," in Minneapolis. I listened to U. S. Congressman Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Ryback, amd Minneapolis Chief Tim Dolan speak about the importance of gun control.
Dolan indicated that the police uncovered 1,400 weapons in Minneapolis last year and that the City needs additional 40 police offciers to deal with violence toward women and children. The big problem is gangs. He also indicated that there are approximatly 16,000 murders a year and 12,000 are with firearms, and over 80 percent of the deaths were caused by handguns.
The Star Tribune reported that there are 270,000,000 guns in the U.S., approximatly 65+ million handguns which is 10 percent of the handguns on earth. The United States has 90 guns for every 100 citizens making it the most heavily armed society in the world.
I present several quotations in Chapter 2 of my book on the Second Amendment. My solution is based on all of the quotations, but I will just quote R. William Ide, former president, of the ABA when he remarked on April 15 1994, at a National Press Club event:
"It is time we overcome the destructive myth perpetuated by gun control opponents about the Second Amendment...Federal and state courts have reached in this century a consensus interpretation of the Second Amendment that permits the exercise of a broad power to limit private access of firearms by all levels of government... It is time we get on with the business of treating guns with the respect they require and one small step toward that end is making it clear that regulating gun ownership does not violate the Constitution."
You can see how this quote plays into my title; "Gun Ownership vs. American Safety." When 3/4 of the murders in this country occur with firearms, we should all be concerned about "America's Safety" and "Americans' Safety."
I indicated that the goal in this exercise was to propose how we can lower the murder rate by 5 percent each year for the next 5 years. Do we agree the status quo is not working?
I did read your suggestion and I agree with many, But I will limit commenting on them.
Solutions
1. If somebody uses a firearms to commit a felony, give them life in prison or the death penalty. I agree that the penalty should be harsh, but I don't believe in the death penalty. If the person who commited the felony fails to state where he/she got the gun, his/her penality will be doubled. The objective is to find the original source of the gun.
2. Reform the prison system... excellent
3. Focus on creating an environment for children and families that will steer them away from crime. I agree wholeheartedly. I suggest the government adopt a Public Health Approach to gun violence. In addition have state and national organizations working together to prevent violence against women and children. As I suggest in chapters 5 and 6 of my book the following pro-gun control groups: The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Children Defense Fund Gun Violence Program, Million Mom March, Mothers Against Teen Violence, Mothers Against Violence in America, League of Women Voters, National Organization for Women, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, National Association of School Psychologists, America Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, International Association of Police, Safer Child, Inc., as well as pro-gun rights groups: Armed Females of America, National Rifle Association Women, Second Amendment Sisters, Inc. and Women Against Gun Control. This is just a sample of groups. There are over 500 state and national groups who support gun control I imagine there are an equal number who support gun rights.
4. Licensing of all handgun owners. Applicants for a license would need to provide a photograph, pass a thorough backgroupd check, including a check for violent misdemeanor convictions, domestic violence, mental illiness; demonstrate knowledge of the laws governing the use, possession, storage and tranfer of handguns; and demonstrate an understanding of firearm safety and competence in handing firearms.
5. "Registration provides a mechanism for stopping the flow of handguns from the legal market (licensed dealers) to the criminal market. Registration prevents illegal tranfers by making registered owner responsibile for what happens to his or her gun, and by making owners periodically take responsibility for their handguns by re-register them." Limit the number of handguns a law-abiding person can purchase. I agree with Cummings!
6. I suggest you access Johns Hopkins Bloombrerg School of Public Health to look at theit suggestions to stop gun crimes and firearm deaths. I listed these earlier, but to refresh your memory here they are again: develop a gun trace data base, combine data from different jurisdictions, supplement data base with information from police investigations, link trace databases with other databases when available, develop and use indicators of gun trafficking to priortize cases, uncover stings of gun dealers, increase oversight and inspection of gun dealers, revoke the licenses of problem gun dealers, engage in innovate litigation, advocate for laws that increase the cost of gun trafficking, evaluate anti-trafficking interevention, reduce illegal gun carrying, use technology to prevent gun violence -- encourage use of BATFE's NIBIN system and require gun manufacturers to "micro-Stamp their guns. Each of these points are amplified by Daniel Webster, ScD, Jon Vernick, JD, and Stephen Teret, JD.
7. The U.S. has 22,000 gangs and over 1,000,000 members. A Task Force consisting of experts which would include a rerpresentative sample of law enforcement officers, government officials and other appopriate groups would be established to tackle this problem. The Task Force would recommend the number of police officers needed to combat gang violence in every city in the United States. Money is no object. If 200,000 police officers are needed and it cost 20 billion dollars, it will be supplied by the federal government. The primary objective is to stop gang violence by captured gang members and their guns. Gang member will disclose the source of their guns or their sentences will be doubled or they will stay in prison.
8. The U.S. will provide millions of dollars in a buyback program. Last month in Chicago over 7,000 gun were turned in. If this is done four times a year throughout the country perhaps a million guns would be turned in. This program will continue for as long as it appears to be working.
My list is incomplete, but it might be a good starting point. It would be nice to turn in our suggestions to law makers, police officers, and state and national groups for gun control and for gun rights.
As Justice William Brennan stated: ... the genius of the Constitution rests not in any static meaning it might have had in the world that is dead and gone, but in the ability of its great principles to cope with current problems and current needs."
Well, I'm not a Constitutional scholar, but I'm smart enough to know that we have to be willing to compromse on this issue. You know the statistics. You know that our great country is the most dangers of the industralized nation. You know the status quo isn't working. I state in the last chapter of my book that at the present rate there will be one billion guns in the U.S. in the 22nd century. Our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will pay the consequences if we don't set down and solve this problem.
Hopefully, you will read this email in the spirit that it is written. So, since I'm not a compter person, I probably won't be able to access your responses. This Earl, "Earl the Pearl," "Uncle Earl", the leprechan McDowell signing off.
It is time for my next cup of coffee.
On August 28th I attended the event, "Bury our Guns: Not Our People," in Minneapolis. I listened to U. S. Congressman Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Ryback, amd Minneapolis Chief Tim Dolan speak about the importance of gun control.
Dolan indicated that the police uncovered 1,400 weapons in Minneapolis last year and that the City needs additional 40 police offciers to deal with violence toward women and children. The big problem is gangs. He also indicated that there are approximatly 16,000 murders a year and 12,000 are with firearms, and over 80 percent of the deaths were caused by handguns.
The Star Tribune reported that there are 270,000,000 guns in the U.S., approximatly 65+ million handguns which is 10 percent of the handguns on earth. The United States has 90 guns for every 100 citizens making it the most heavily armed society in the world.
I present several quotations in Chapter 2 of my book on the Second Amendment. My solution is based on all of the quotations, but I will just quote R. William Ide, former president, of the ABA when he remarked on April 15 1994, at a National Press Club event:
"It is time we overcome the destructive myth perpetuated by gun control opponents about the Second Amendment...Federal and state courts have reached in this century a consensus interpretation of the Second Amendment that permits the exercise of a broad power to limit private access of firearms by all levels of government... It is time we get on with the business of treating guns with the respect they require and one small step toward that end is making it clear that regulating gun ownership does not violate the Constitution."
You can see how this quote plays into my title; "Gun Ownership vs. American Safety." When 3/4 of the murders in this country occur with firearms, we should all be concerned about "America's Safety" and "Americans' Safety."
I indicated that the goal in this exercise was to propose how we can lower the murder rate by 5 percent each year for the next 5 years. Do we agree the status quo is not working?
I did read your suggestion and I agree with many, But I will limit commenting on them.
Solutions
1. If somebody uses a firearms to commit a felony, give them life in prison or the death penalty. I agree that the penalty should be harsh, but I don't believe in the death penalty. If the person who commited the felony fails to state where he/she got the gun, his/her penality will be doubled. The objective is to find the original source of the gun.
2. Reform the prison system... excellent
3. Focus on creating an environment for children and families that will steer them away from crime. I agree wholeheartedly. I suggest the government adopt a Public Health Approach to gun violence. In addition have state and national organizations working together to prevent violence against women and children. As I suggest in chapters 5 and 6 of my book the following pro-gun control groups: The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Children Defense Fund Gun Violence Program, Million Mom March, Mothers Against Teen Violence, Mothers Against Violence in America, League of Women Voters, National Organization for Women, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, National Association of School Psychologists, America Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, International Association of Police, Safer Child, Inc., as well as pro-gun rights groups: Armed Females of America, National Rifle Association Women, Second Amendment Sisters, Inc. and Women Against Gun Control. This is just a sample of groups. There are over 500 state and national groups who support gun control I imagine there are an equal number who support gun rights.
4. Licensing of all handgun owners. Applicants for a license would need to provide a photograph, pass a thorough backgroupd check, including a check for violent misdemeanor convictions, domestic violence, mental illiness; demonstrate knowledge of the laws governing the use, possession, storage and tranfer of handguns; and demonstrate an understanding of firearm safety and competence in handing firearms.
5. "Registration provides a mechanism for stopping the flow of handguns from the legal market (licensed dealers) to the criminal market. Registration prevents illegal tranfers by making registered owner responsibile for what happens to his or her gun, and by making owners periodically take responsibility for their handguns by re-register them." Limit the number of handguns a law-abiding person can purchase. I agree with Cummings!
6. I suggest you access Johns Hopkins Bloombrerg School of Public Health to look at theit suggestions to stop gun crimes and firearm deaths. I listed these earlier, but to refresh your memory here they are again: develop a gun trace data base, combine data from different jurisdictions, supplement data base with information from police investigations, link trace databases with other databases when available, develop and use indicators of gun trafficking to priortize cases, uncover stings of gun dealers, increase oversight and inspection of gun dealers, revoke the licenses of problem gun dealers, engage in innovate litigation, advocate for laws that increase the cost of gun trafficking, evaluate anti-trafficking interevention, reduce illegal gun carrying, use technology to prevent gun violence -- encourage use of BATFE's NIBIN system and require gun manufacturers to "micro-Stamp their guns. Each of these points are amplified by Daniel Webster, ScD, Jon Vernick, JD, and Stephen Teret, JD.
7. The U.S. has 22,000 gangs and over 1,000,000 members. A Task Force consisting of experts which would include a rerpresentative sample of law enforcement officers, government officials and other appopriate groups would be established to tackle this problem. The Task Force would recommend the number of police officers needed to combat gang violence in every city in the United States. Money is no object. If 200,000 police officers are needed and it cost 20 billion dollars, it will be supplied by the federal government. The primary objective is to stop gang violence by captured gang members and their guns. Gang member will disclose the source of their guns or their sentences will be doubled or they will stay in prison.
8. The U.S. will provide millions of dollars in a buyback program. Last month in Chicago over 7,000 gun were turned in. If this is done four times a year throughout the country perhaps a million guns would be turned in. This program will continue for as long as it appears to be working.
My list is incomplete, but it might be a good starting point. It would be nice to turn in our suggestions to law makers, police officers, and state and national groups for gun control and for gun rights.
As Justice William Brennan stated: ... the genius of the Constitution rests not in any static meaning it might have had in the world that is dead and gone, but in the ability of its great principles to cope with current problems and current needs."
Well, I'm not a Constitutional scholar, but I'm smart enough to know that we have to be willing to compromse on this issue. You know the statistics. You know that our great country is the most dangers of the industralized nation. You know the status quo isn't working. I state in the last chapter of my book that at the present rate there will be one billion guns in the U.S. in the 22nd century. Our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will pay the consequences if we don't set down and solve this problem.
Hopefully, you will read this email in the spirit that it is written. So, since I'm not a compter person, I probably won't be able to access your responses. This Earl, "Earl the Pearl," "Uncle Earl", the leprechan McDowell signing off.
It is time for my next cup of coffee.
