Cars, Guns, And The Not-So-Wild West

On a political talk show today, the subject, as on most shows dealing with news this day, was the shooting in Aurora, CO. The guest host, Ron Reagan, made an interesting suggestion. He proposed that guns should be treated more like cars. He began his point with stating the fact that, when Henry Ford began rolling out his first automobiles, there were no rules of the road, anyone could drive--and there was total chaos. Rather similar, it seems, to the way our guns are treated. He has a point, and I have to say, it's occurred to me as well.

I like the idea. How many people do you suppose buy a gun and get some large caliber weapon because it's the only thing they ever heard of? Do they know what kind of ammunition to get for it? Maybe they don't know how to shoot it, load it, unload it, lock it up or make sure it doesn't go off by itself--the doctor who delivered two of my boys had a scary story about that--but they may not have even been sure what they want it for! It's like buying a car and not knowing what kind of gas it needs, or oil it takes, or where to put the coolant. Or worse yet, how to drive. So what's wrong with seeing that people can use a weapon properly before they buy and own it, like having driving lessons and a license before driving a car?

And why not, while we're at it, doing this licensing through the DMV? That's my idea. No one minds getting their driver's license or state ID there, so why not? You can even have a photo ID, with the bought, and if you have more than one, update it. Wait, relax....if somebody steals your car, don't you want it back? And if the car is stolen, the first thing you give the police is the registration, right? Well, if your gun gets stolen, don't you want that back, especially if it's deer season and you really want some venison? And a hunting trip? Or at least your gun back.

The fact is, during the so-called Wild West that so many seem to yearn for, in most towns it was the law to drop off your guns at the Sheriff's office before heading elsewhere and pick them up on your way out of town. Not that there were no lawbreakers who disobeyed the law. We will always have that. But we don't need big anti-personnel weaponry to protect our homes or hunt game. And the few of us who collect antique weapons aren't a threat to anyone, usually, any more than antique car collectors are likely to commit traffic offenses. But they, too, buy their cars according to law.

You notice, vehicle laws and traffic regulations have not stopped driving or vehicle ownership. But no one in private life owns tanks. Gun regulations and laws won't stop gun ownership or legal shooting, either, so your hunting trips are safe. And no one needs a machine gun in private life, either.