Readers offer solutions to gun violence
The lack of willpower among politicians to do anything to try to prevent mass shootings and reduce gun violence is pitiful.
If they found the courage to try and if they took the time to listen to their constituents, they’d find there are plenty of ideas that go beyond commonly offered solutions such as universal background checks and red-flag laws.
Readers offered several in response to my recent column where I called Pennsylvania’s Republican state representatives spineless for blocking a vote on a bill that would ban future sales of assault rifles — a day after the school shooting in Texas.
I also, of course, heard from people who have no problem with the status quo. You can’t stop bad people from opening fire, the Second Amendment worshippers contend.
Here’s what some readers had to say.
Tax the bullets
“The truth of the matter is, ammunition is the real killer. I would like to see a tax on ammunition for assault rifles. And I mean a tax that will hurt. You can buy 300 rounds of .233 ... for $189. If it were up to me, the tax would push the price of 300 rounds to $3,000.
“The Second Amendment would not be in jeopardy. Want a gun? Buy it. Want ammo? Buy it. The tax could go toward training police, mental health awareness ...
“I like to golf. I have played on lots of different courses along the East Coast. I know people who have played golf all over the United States. I don’t know anyone who played a round of golf at Pebble Beach. Why? Because it’s too damn expensive. Everyone I know would like to play Pebble Beach. These mass shooters would not have the financial resources to train and
carry out their evil missions if they couldn’t afford the ammo.”
Lock them up
“Let’s start with no bail for individuals who commit a crime with a gun. And follow that up with no bail for individuals who commit a crime and have five or more previous convictions. And for the mentally ill, there can be no signing out of a mental health facility.”
Pass a test to get an assault rifle
“Yes, enough with the prayers to the Christian Nationalist gun God — their imaginary friend
in the sky. Wonder why they couldn’t even try something like just making it harder to get an assault weapon, if not an outright ban. Someone wants an assault weapon, have them pay for a bunch of psychological tests and get three people to vouch for their sanity (kind of like concealed carry permits). And no gun sales to people under 22 or something similar. Too many guns as it is.”
Secure the schools
“Our country will never learn from history. You can’t walk into a courthouse or a federal building without being thoroughly checked.
“They should take some of the money that schools waste across America on whatever they waste it on and I’m sure you know what that is and put a couple of police officers or armed security at the entrances. In other words stop the bad guys from getting in the building and these atrocities would not happen. It would be such a simple task.”
Call out the lawmakers
“I just read your article on the GOP lawmakers voting against the weapons ban. I’d rather you list all their names in the article and put them to shame. To me, all GOP lawmakers are nothing but a terrorist group and people have got to get out there and vote these [expletives] out of office. I would never vote for any GOP lawmakers in my life. To me, they are against all the rules except they want nothing but power over everything any more.”
(The tally of how state representatives voted is available by looking up House Bill 770 at www.legis.state.pa.us/.)