Better than any statement I could hope to make about our need to take control of the gun culture that threatens our basic liberties on the one hand, and the lives of innocent civilians on the other, is the statement reported last night (1 - 30 - 2013) in a segment entitled the Rewrite on The Last Word
After listening to the testimony of David Wheeler (Click on the above link), who lost his son at Sandy Hook on December 14th, 2012, I want to ask you to consider the questions: What are your priorities? What should be ours as a nation?
In my mind, the only sensible, responsible response to Mr. Wheeler and his son is to look at the gun control issue in its full context and not just a piece-meal political bag of bargaining chips to be used to kick the problem down the road while upsetting the least number of special interests. The central focus must be on the instrument of death and destruction, the GUN and GUN ACCESS, and not scapegoating the issue by shifting the focus to other important, but tangential, issues such as mental health, criminality, or alleged Constitutional Rights.
What we need is an open and complete discussion and debate followed by the creation and implementation of laws and policies that tackle the three major elements of GUN CONTROL. These are: the Prevention, Mitigation and Rehabilitation of the impact of guns on people. Prevention, mitigation, and rehabilitation are all required in order to develop an effective GUN CONTROL policy. Such a policy would place the responsibility for the GUN on the gun owner. (After all, gun ownership it is a personal choice, and not an obligation under the 2nd Amendment).
Prevention: The government, representing ALL of the people, should be setting the regulations to distinguish between lawful ownership and use and unlawful ownership and use of all firearms. A first step would be for Congress to enable the proper authorities to collect and RETAIN the records of all GUNs and their transactional history. Second would be to enable a comprehensive codification and simplification of Gun laws at the national, state and local levels and come up with a Uniform Code of Gun Ownership, e.g. the Uniform Commercial Code which governs interstate commerce. Code would govern the rights and obligations of ownership and the processes for legal transfer of title.
Mitigation: In a crisis situation, how do we expect a Rent-a-guard or vigilante to be prepared to take on a perp with an assault weapon and 30 round magazine/clip? Regulations limiting the access to "combat style" weapons may limit the arms race between the authorities and the "bad guys" and mitigate the collateral damage. Gun and gun related incidents arise because of the availability of a GUN, as a weapon, to threaten or to assault, or to use deliberately and with premeditation to intimidate the other party to the incident. Thus, policies developed to regulate a person's access to, and the types of, a gun and gun related (ammunition, clips, storage, etc) activity are called for. By placing responsibility for any and all claims of liabilities on the owner of record, rights of ownership are balanced by the responsibilities of ownership.
Rehabilitation: There is considerable debate in the media about the causes of gun violence but very little which recognizes and reports on the long term consequences to the victims We need educate the public and their representatives about the long terms costs of gun violence and accidents on the victims and the community. We can start by assigning legal responsibility for the GUN to the registered owner of the gun, just as we do now with the automobile, a pit bull, etc. The liability for the consequences of gun injuries, damage and deaths, arising from an incident should be "presumed" by the law and the courts to be the obligation of the official owner of the gun. The owner of the gun, used in the incident, should be held responsible for compensating all of the victims, unless proven otherwise. In an earlier essay, I have suggested that a mandatory insurance policy on the GUN might be used to help both owners and victims.
What are your thoughts? And how do you answer Mr. Wheeler and the other parents of the victims of gun violence and accidents?
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
"I fail to see ..."
"
I fail to see how requiring gun owners to purchase liability insurance
will reduce gun violence. Given the track record of the insurance
industry in general it seems wishful thinking that they will serve the
public interest in this case."
This comment, rather cynical and biased, reflects the narrowness, in-the-box, mind set that pervades the gun control debate. We need to break out of our personal ideological boxes and start thinking as a community about how we resolve the constitutional conflict we have created for ourselves regarding GUNS.
However, I would argue the insurance mandate would cut the cost of gun violence for the survivors and might serve as a deterrent to irresponsible gun ownership by exacting a real price for owning a particular type of gun under particular circumstances. It monetizes to right to gun ownership.
Right now, in the USA, only the governments have the responsibility to regulate guns. Their interests are, as we see daily, compromised by the political process and power of special interests at all levels. There is only one common rule for gun control recognized in the US. The "right" to bear arms. The responsibilities for that right are not uniform, non existent, and/or not enforced
The only way to control a special interest, in my experience, is with a countervailing special interest. It is the Ying/Yang of political power. There is no central interest in government to control weapons or how they are used. Good and bad arguments are made on both sides of the issue.
The insurance industry has but one interest -- to be profitable to its shareholders. It does this by taking on other peoples risks at a price. To be profitable, the price must be greater than the demand made upon the risk pool the insurance company has established to satisfy claims against its policies. The proposal I'm making is the same type of liability insurance currently mandated in many states for purchase, registration and operation of a motor vehicles.
If you want to own a vehicle and want use a motor vehicle in the state, you must register it. In order to register it you must prove that you have, in force, insurance that covers the other driver or victim in the event of an accident.The cost of insurance is part of your price of owning a car.
Insurance companies price of their insurance policies based on the history of the owner, the type of vehicle being insured, and the history of that class of vehicle, among other things.
The public policy issue of what to do for the victim when hit by an uninsured driver is addressed by the insurance mandate. This legally pins responsibility on the car owner."You are personally responsible for the damages caused by your car." Now, read "gun" in place of "car".
The administration of the law is done through the private section. And the cost of owning and the operating vehicle or gun comes out of your pocket. An incentive to buy the insurance is that the insurance can help you to control your costs or liability in the event of an accident. The premiums paid into the insurance company creates a pool of funds from which victims recover their losses, which is an incentive for the public and tax payers to support mandate And the insurance company owners are motivated to rationally assess their risks and policies and setting prices in order to make a profit.
It all comes down to the money and not the ideological excesses of pro- and con- fanatics and submissive political hacks.
See also: Man the Toolmaker or the Tool?
This comment, rather cynical and biased, reflects the narrowness, in-the-box, mind set that pervades the gun control debate. We need to break out of our personal ideological boxes and start thinking as a community about how we resolve the constitutional conflict we have created for ourselves regarding GUNS.
However, I would argue the insurance mandate would cut the cost of gun violence for the survivors and might serve as a deterrent to irresponsible gun ownership by exacting a real price for owning a particular type of gun under particular circumstances. It monetizes to right to gun ownership.
Right now, in the USA, only the governments have the responsibility to regulate guns. Their interests are, as we see daily, compromised by the political process and power of special interests at all levels. There is only one common rule for gun control recognized in the US. The "right" to bear arms. The responsibilities for that right are not uniform, non existent, and/or not enforced
The only way to control a special interest, in my experience, is with a countervailing special interest. It is the Ying/Yang of political power. There is no central interest in government to control weapons or how they are used. Good and bad arguments are made on both sides of the issue.
The insurance industry has but one interest -- to be profitable to its shareholders. It does this by taking on other peoples risks at a price. To be profitable, the price must be greater than the demand made upon the risk pool the insurance company has established to satisfy claims against its policies. The proposal I'm making is the same type of liability insurance currently mandated in many states for purchase, registration and operation of a motor vehicles.
If you want to own a vehicle and want use a motor vehicle in the state, you must register it. In order to register it you must prove that you have, in force, insurance that covers the other driver or victim in the event of an accident.The cost of insurance is part of your price of owning a car.
Insurance companies price of their insurance policies based on the history of the owner, the type of vehicle being insured, and the history of that class of vehicle, among other things.
The public policy issue of what to do for the victim when hit by an uninsured driver is addressed by the insurance mandate. This legally pins responsibility on the car owner."You are personally responsible for the damages caused by your car." Now, read "gun" in place of "car".
The administration of the law is done through the private section. And the cost of owning and the operating vehicle or gun comes out of your pocket. An incentive to buy the insurance is that the insurance can help you to control your costs or liability in the event of an accident. The premiums paid into the insurance company creates a pool of funds from which victims recover their losses, which is an incentive for the public and tax payers to support mandate And the insurance company owners are motivated to rationally assess their risks and policies and setting prices in order to make a profit.
It all comes down to the money and not the ideological excesses of pro- and con- fanatics and submissive political hacks.
See also: Man the Toolmaker or the Tool?
Sunday, January 6, 2013
A Primer to resources for The Gun Control/Gun Policy Debate
As concerned citizens with a strong
moral sense, we need data and facts to apply to our moral reactions and
judgments to life’s challenges. Being a good responsible citizen does not call for
us
to simply to go with the flow, nor to ignore of tragic events in the lives of
our fellow humans. As responsible adults we can not accept or ignore the evil
in the world. Civil society expects us to use our experience to test and refine
our faith and clarify our moral responsibility in the world. Gun violence and
ownership in the United States is a moral issue.
The Bill of Rights makes clear that the
first fundamental right from which all others follow is the 1st Amendment.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
The 1st Amendment of the
Bill of Rights insures the right to a redress of grievances. Current guns laws and
their absence pose a genuine threat to the safety and security of the citizenry
Today, however, it seems that the 2nd Amendment has become the
challenger to the 1st Amendment We need to consider where the
boundaries are to be drawn between these
two principles; and why “bearing arms” carries such a strong moral imperative
for responsible gun ownership. . It is time
for Congress and the courts to clarify which of the rights has priority.
Regardless of your feels about the
gun ownership, let us debate the issue based on a common set of objective
facts. This Primer is presented as a resource for those who have a serious
interest and commitment to working for solutions to the current and future
problem poses by the unlimited access to guns.
Let us begin with the most basic of
facts:
What does a gun and bullet do to the
human body?
"No matter which side you take
on the sale and use of firearms in this country, the fact remains that you will
encounter the results of firearms injuries. This tutorial is designed to give
you a working knowledge of the types of firearms, the types of ammunition used,
the nature of injuries that can be produced in the body, and the investigative
techniques employed by the forensic pathologist in assessing firearms
injuries."
from: the Firearms Tutorial University of Utah College of Medicine
http://library.med.utah.edu/WebPath/TUTORIAL/GUNS/GUNINTRO.html
from: the Firearms Tutorial University of Utah College of Medicine
http://library.med.utah.edu/WebPath/TUTORIAL/GUNS/GUNINTRO.html
What is irresponsible firearms use?
Here is an example: Celebratory gunfire - often seen in the movies, holidays and weddings around the world http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebratory_gunfire
What is the human cost of guns on
American Society?
Here are some additional sources
related to the issue of gun ownership and accidental and irresponsible gun use
in the United States. The impact of gun deaths, injuries and accidents in
context of the overall health care system can be found in the statistic from
the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
All Injuries
Mortality
All injury deaths
Number of deaths: 177,154
Deaths per 100,000 population: 57.7
Motor vehicle traffic deaths
Number of deaths: 34,485
Deaths per 100,000 population: 11.2
All poisoning deaths
Number of deaths: 41,592
Deaths per 100,000 population: 13.5
All firearm deaths
Number of deaths: 31,347
Deaths per 100,000 population: 10.2
Source: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/injury.htm
Assault or Homicide
Mortality
All homicides
Number of deaths: 16,799
Deaths per 100,000 population: 5.5
Cause of death rank: 15
Firearm homicides
Number of deaths: 11,493
Deaths per 100,000 population: 3.7
Source: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/homicide.htm
Suicide and Self-Inflicted Injury
Mortality
All suicides
Number of deaths: 36,909
Deaths per 100,000 population: 12.0
Cause of death rank: 10
Firearm suicides
Number of deaths: 18,735
Deaths per 100,000 population: 6.1
Suffocation suicides
Number of deaths: 9,000
Deaths per 100,000 population: 2.9
Poisoning suicides
Number of deaths: 6,398
Deaths per 100,000 population: 2.1
Source: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/suicide.htm
Do your own search for cause of death and by ages 0 - 65+ go to
The National Center for Injury Control and Prevention
WISQARS Leading Causes of Death Reports, National and Regional, 1999 - 2010
http://webappa.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/leadcaus10_us.html
All Injuries
Mortality
All injury deaths
Number of deaths: 177,154
Deaths per 100,000 population: 57.7
Motor vehicle traffic deaths
Number of deaths: 34,485
Deaths per 100,000 population: 11.2
All poisoning deaths
Number of deaths: 41,592
Deaths per 100,000 population: 13.5
All firearm deaths
Number of deaths: 31,347
Deaths per 100,000 population: 10.2
Source: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/injury.htm
Assault or Homicide
Mortality
All homicides
Number of deaths: 16,799
Deaths per 100,000 population: 5.5
Cause of death rank: 15
Firearm homicides
Number of deaths: 11,493
Deaths per 100,000 population: 3.7
Source: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/homicide.htm
Suicide and Self-Inflicted Injury
Mortality
All suicides
Number of deaths: 36,909
Deaths per 100,000 population: 12.0
Cause of death rank: 10
Firearm suicides
Number of deaths: 18,735
Deaths per 100,000 population: 6.1
Suffocation suicides
Number of deaths: 9,000
Deaths per 100,000 population: 2.9
Poisoning suicides
Number of deaths: 6,398
Deaths per 100,000 population: 2.1
Source: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/suicide.htm
Do your own search for cause of death and by ages 0 - 65+ go to
The National Center for Injury Control and Prevention
WISQARS Leading Causes of Death Reports, National and Regional, 1999 - 2010
http://webappa.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/leadcaus10_us.html
Where is gun violence to be found?
The geography of gun violence in the
USA
The Atlantic Maps
The Geography of U.S. Gun Violence
by Richard Florida Dec 14, 2012 148 Comments
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/neighborhoods/2012/12/geography-us-gun-violence/4171/
What is the financial cost of firearms death to individuals and society?
The Atlantic Maps
The Geography of U.S. Gun Violence
by Richard Florida Dec 14, 2012 148 Comments
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/neighborhoods/2012/12/geography-us-gun-violence/4171/
What is the financial cost of firearms death to individuals and society?
From an insurance point of view
THE COST OF FIREARM DEATHS IN THE UNITED STATES REDUCED LIFE EXPECTANCIES AND INCREASED INSURANCE COSTS
Jean Lemaire
Source: The Journal of Risk and Insurance, 2005, Vol. 72, No. 3, 359-374
http://www.fox.temple.edu/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/JeanLemaire.pdf
THE COST OF FIREARM DEATHS IN THE UNITED STATES REDUCED LIFE EXPECTANCIES AND INCREASED INSURANCE COSTS
Jean Lemaire
Source: The Journal of Risk and Insurance, 2005, Vol. 72, No. 3, 359-374
http://www.fox.temple.edu/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/JeanLemaire.pdf
What are your local gun laws?
The source is the NRA itself check this link http://www.nraila.org/gun-laws.aspx
What is the impact of gun laws and ownership on criminal and public safety?
The source is the NRA itself check this link http://www.nraila.org/gun-laws.aspx
What is the impact of gun laws and ownership on criminal and public safety?
For specific Administration
statistics check out the following for the most recent data:
The firearms industry as presented by the ATF Department of Justice
http://www.atf.gov/firearms/industry/ (Firearms page)
FBI Crime statistics http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/crimestats (Crime statistics page search results)
The firearms industry as presented by the ATF Department of Justice
http://www.atf.gov/firearms/industry/ (Firearms page)
FBI Crime statistics http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/crimestats (Crime statistics page search results)
What is the police response to school
violence involving guns?
Prevention
and Response to School Violence from the International Association
of Chiefs of Police
What do school official say about gun
violence in schools?
“Preventing
Gun Violence in Public Schools” from National Association of Secondary School Principles
http://www.nassp.org/Content.aspx?topic=55496
Who are the main lobbying organizations supporting the 2nd Amendment and gun ownership?
Who are the main lobbying organizations supporting the 2nd Amendment and gun ownership?
Here are the links to several gun
lobby groups
http://www.amfire.com/ American Firearms (Home page - retailers)
http://www.nraila.org/ (NRA) National Rifle Association (Home Page)
http://jpfo.org/ (JPFO) Jews for the preservation of Firearms Ownership (Home Page)
Here is the most ironic in light of Sandy Hook
http://www.nssf.org/ (NSSF) the National Shooting Sports Foundation (Home page)
National Shooting Sports Foundation
Flintlock Ridge Office Center
1. Mile Hill Road
Newtown, CT 06470-2359
http://gunowners.org/protect.htm (GOA) Gun Owners of America (Home page)
http://www.amfire.com/ American Firearms (Home page - retailers)
http://www.nraila.org/ (NRA) National Rifle Association (Home Page)
http://jpfo.org/ (JPFO) Jews for the preservation of Firearms Ownership (Home Page)
Here is the most ironic in light of Sandy Hook
http://www.nssf.org/ (NSSF) the National Shooting Sports Foundation (Home page)
National Shooting Sports Foundation
Flintlock Ridge Office Center
1. Mile Hill Road
Newtown, CT 06470-2359
http://gunowners.org/protect.htm (GOA) Gun Owners of America (Home page)
Read about the Rhode Island Connection to the founding of the NRA
Sources for further information
To monitor many news sources and
congressional action check out:
The Orator Network http://www.theorator.com/index.html
The Orator Network http://www.theorator.com/index.html
There are plenty of articles and
commentaries available through a Google, Bing, or Yahoo search but you may be
interested in the statistical data, the actions of congress, and the statements
from the industry. The above is offered to assist you in your research.
You are invited to add to the list.
Americans for Responsible Solutions Gabby Gifford initiative on Gun Control
http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/01/07/gabby-giffords-mark-kelly-tucson-shooting-gun-control/1816383/
Carrying Laws
http://www.usacarry.com/rhode_island_concealed_carry_permit_information.html
Keeping Score:
January 2013
http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/local/cmpd-committed-prevent-gun-violence-2013/nTsDR/
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/high-school-shooting-taft-california-183012601.html
You are invited to add to the list.
Americans for Responsible Solutions Gabby Gifford initiative on Gun Control
http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/01/07/gabby-giffords-mark-kelly-tucson-shooting-gun-control/1816383/
Carrying Laws
http://www.usacarry.com/rhode_island_concealed_carry_permit_information.html
Keeping Score:
How Many People Have Been Killed by Guns Since Newtown?
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/crime/2012/12/gun_death_tally_every_american_gun_death_since_newtown_sandy_hook_shooting.htmlJanuary 2013
http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/local/cmpd-committed-prevent-gun-violence-2013/nTsDR/
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/high-school-shooting-taft-california-183012601.html
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