WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE?

from the internet

     Do you know what this is?

     I confess, I had never given it a thought.  And I LOVE JAMES BOND FILMS.  Despite seeing this image, who knows, how many times; I never gave a thought to what it actually was.

    What it is, is the view out of a barrel of a gun.  Whether it's supposed to be a Beretta 418 or a Walther PPK, I do not know.  Kinda pretty.  The view from the other side of the barrel, not as much.

     This post was originally started in October of 2014.  Given the recent shooting at a church in Charleston, SC, and now the shooting in Louisiana, I STILL would like to know, what is it going to take?

     Then yesterday I saw that : GOP Candidate RICK PERRY was making headlines.  Well, we know James Eagan Holmes and John Russell Houser agree.

     I for one, do not want to sit in a dark movie theater wondering what state of mind, and if and what, the person behind me is packing.   Lest Mr. Perry has forgotten this story: "Dad's Texting Daughter Sparks Fatal Shooting".  Keep in mind, the shooter was a retired police officer.  So, yes Mr. Perry, he was trained.  
     In trying to find out the latest on that case, I came across this article: "Retired Officer Kills 2 Daughters, Self, Officials Say."  Apparently, he even shot the dogs.  Just because they're trained; that just makes them a better shot.  Doesn't say anything as to their mental state.  Should we be grateful that these 2 trained shooters didn't shoot more people?

     When I started this post last October, in 2 days, there had been 2 shootings.  There was a school shooting in Washington, and there was a shooting in California where officers were shot and involved an extensive search for the shooter.

And those are just the ones that were reported on at the time.

     So, if we're going to have guns, is it too much to ask; to figure out at the very least, a few rules? 

Here are a few suggestions, that I've seen, and I think have merit.

     *The owner has a complete annual physical, and annual mental health evaluation.  As does anyone that has access.

     *The owner remains in form, by documented shooting practice at a range on a monthly basis.

     *The type of guns available for private not service use, are limited to hunting rifles, handguns, and muskets.

     *Registration of gun(s) tied in with income taxes.  Not sure how, but interesting notion.

     *Must complete a course on responsible ownership.

Keep in mind I'm a parent, so I'm a big fan of the idea of "Play nice with your toys, or you lose it."  

It's been over 200 years since the Second Amendment was written.  Consider, how many guns have been invented since then?

A couple of posts to read and consider:
The Most Common Weapons Available in 1791

and with 5 words, this writer believes we could fix the problem of the 2nd Amendment:
The 5 Extra Words That Can Fix The Second Amendment.

      I am from West Virginia.  I had family that hunted and thus, had guns.  Yet, as hard as try to remember, I have no idea where and how were the guns were stored.  I never saw them.  I just ate the spoils.  I also had Gun Safety in school, (think 8th grade) where we were taught the proper handling and even got to shoot a rifle.  I also know of loved ones being shot in the heat of the moment; suicides, and being killed in the crossfire of gang shots.  And in my family, the history of mental illness is prevalent; so no gun.  Just like you, my experience is what makes up my reality and my decisions. 

I close with this video of Australian comedian Jim Jeffries.