1. Raise the purchasing/ownership rules to age 21.
The illogic here is that you volunteer into the US military and are given the weapons as a 'matter of trust earned'. How would you explain X and then Y?
Would the gangs and under-21 criminal gangs continue to use weapons? That's the general idea that you are stuck with.
Adding to the illogic....if they aren't to be trusted....why allow them $100k loan potential for college debt, or allow them the right to vote?
But if you wanted to accomplish something with maximum public support....getting little to nothing in resolving the issue....this would be the key idea to embrace.
2. Remove all semi-automatic military assault weapons from the nation, period.
This idea floats around and has three key problems. First, the AR-15 is not a military assault weapon....no military in the world has purchased as 'such'.
Second, you'd be talking about a minimum of 25-million....if you go to all of the general characteristics. This would require compensation to occur....in the range of $15-billion minimum.
Third, just how many would accept your 'order'? I'd guess fewer than 30-percent would cooperate, and some national 'raid-your-house' situation would develop, with people very uncooperative from this start-up.
3. Seize all weapons.
You just won't find more than 10-percent of the nation that really sees this as a potential answer.
4. Start a mental exam requirement.
On the face of the idea.....might have potential except for the fact that one-third of people holding weapons today....might not pass the exam. To be honest, if you applied the same exam to holding Senate/House offices or the Presidency....I'm guessing fifty of these folks would be going home.
5. Require a completion of a gun-safety course, and an occasional refresher to occur.
I think 99-percent of people would accept this idea, but there's zero proof it'd reduce incidents.
6. Expand background checks.
This comes up and no one has a clear explanation how it gets more intense. Some people zero background checks occur today, which is false. You could go and mandate a credit check but that doesn't resolve much of anything.
7. Mandate smaller ammo clips/magazines.
Considering how many magazines already exist in the nation.....it's doubtful this has potential.
8. Make more 'red-flag' laws.
But this would go back to mental stability and if 'Joe' was truly dangerous.....it's not just enough to deny him a gun.....he needs to be in a fenced-in facility. You aren't willing to do that.
9. Arm teachers.
Maybe a good idea, but at least a third of them (my estimate) don't want the responsibility, and could not put down a student.
10. More guards in schools.
Well, for about a quarter of society....they don't want to see guards in schools. You also have the problem of hiring some unqualified people for a remarkable role in protection. You don't want to hire up 500 Barney Fife characters.
So, here's some plain blunt truth.....out of 300-million people in the nation, you can figure that in terms of pure-evil like this young guy.....there must be at least 10,000 of his 'kind' out there, and just waiting for one day to go-off....wanting to end the lives of twenty-odd people.
On top of that 10,000.....you probably have another 300,000 meth-heads around the nation....guys who are willing to kill you over a item of value around $250....to cover the cost of tomorrow's drug of choice. Home invasion is their game, and your life isn't that important.
Convincing people of more control? Your one chance was in the 1990s before meth and home invasion came along. A fair number of Americans today won't agree to much of a change.
Finally, as the fog lifts off this recent shooting and the way that the local cops handled it.....general trust in the police to be there to save/protect you? I think that element lost a good bit 'shine'.
