The Right to Bear Arms - part 2

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the 2^nd amendment, the right to bear arms and my concern for mass or spree shootings. Buying and possessing guns is relatively easy in Texas, which puts us in danger of violent gun crimes. I do not wish to take away our right to bear arms, because that is simply unrealistic in a country like the USA where the possession of guns is socially acceptable and part of the culture. I do believe in stricter gun policies, here are some measures I believe could prevent violent gun crimes:

1.       Requirement of mental evaluation from a psychiatrist.

This would prevent mentally ill people from buying guns. From our past experiences we know that a large number of mass shootings were committed by people with either a history of mental illness or at least symptoms of them. The requirement of this document alone can prevent potential killers to even try to obtain weapons.

2.       Restriction of semi-automatic guns.

I believe that semi-automatic guns should not be available to the public. There is no real necessity of possessing these guns, especially if you do not have the appropriate training and self control to have one.  These weapons are dangerous and should only be used by officials in extraordinary situations.

3.       End of online sale of guns.

Online sales of guns should be prohibited, there is no real way to know who is behind a computer screen. Someone with a criminal or mental record could purchase guns through an online source by using someone else’s information (friends, family members).

4.       Implementation of a safety course.

I believe that to purchase a gun there should be a mandatory course and interview of at least 10 hrs to explain security measures that should be taken to ensure the responsible use and possession of guns. No one should be able to just go into a store and leave with a gun right away. This process needs to be supervised and the intentions of the buyers should to be clear to officials.