The Second Amendment was ratified over 200 years ago in 1791 with a caveat that it applied to a well regulated militia. When I was born, regulation of firearms was an accepted covenant of modern society. We grew up in relative safety.
In 1975 the NRA began a campaign of lobbying for legislation financed by the international gun industry and designed for the unlimited proliferation of weapons in the United States of America. Times changed, our nation became polarized and in 2008 the US Supreme Court issued the Heller decision which, for the first time in United States history, articulated an individual’s right to bear arms.
Scalia's majority opinion in Heller said that the Second Amendment is not absolute, but is subject to reasonable regulation. From Scalia's opinion:
“The Court’s opinion should not be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms. ... weapons protected are those “in common use at the time” finds support in the historical tradition of prohibiting the carrying of dangerous and unusual weapons.”
Following this, a proliferation of NRA supported state legislation has left us with devastating record gun deaths and more mass shooting in 2019 than days on the calendar. It’s time to do something.
Limit High Capacity Magazines
The use of such high-capacity magazines was banned in Ohio up until 2015, when a little-noticed change in state law legalized the devices. The Dayton Oregon shooter was equipped with a 100-round drum magazine. 9 dead. Thanks a lot Ohio State Legislature. Who’s next?
Real Background Checks
Surely closing the Gun show loophole is something we can all agree on. Universal background checks would be better. We need to hold government agencies accountable for keeping accurate records for purposes of checks. On average, fewer people die from gun violence in states with strong gun laws and more people die in states with weak gun laws. It’s just common sense.
Gun Suicide and Accident Prevention
64% of gun deaths in our country are suicides by firearm, the most common type of gun death. We HAVE to make sure Medical Professionals are free to counsel patients about guns in the home. This is also important in reducing accidental gun deaths. Disgustingly, the recommendations advanced by the American Academy of Pediatricians and Family Practice have been challenged by NRA lobbyists for using CMS funds to inquire about safe gun use and storage.