The system of gun control is broken and needs to be demolished and rewritten. Violence has only risen as the hordes march to buy their weapons with reckless abandon, and the politicians in Washington continue to threaten people’s right to bear arms. I propose a radically different solution that allows individuals to safely own weapons without keeping them from owning the weapons they desire as a member of the people’s militia of The United States.

Gun control has been in the news quite a lot lately, due to the rampage of shootings that have happened across the country over the past month. Gun advocates will say, “Everyone needs to be armed! That way they can shoot back!” The logic of this is ludicrous. More people with guns means more guns to be stolen, more people who have a mental break that are armed and decided to act on it, and lastly, more naive children who don’t know how to handle their emotions and start killing people who hurt their feelings. The other end of this argument, as it stands now, is that we need more gun control. Stop gun shows, ban assault weapons, and so on.

What I propose is radically different than the current system, but not a radical idea. Let me make a comparison. It is easier to get a gun, than it is to get your driver’s license and a car. What the country needs isn’t gun control, but weapons regulations, testing, and licensing. Just like you need a license to drive a car, a different license to drive a motorcycling, a different one for a bus, train, plane, semi-truck…yet for weapons, all you need is a certificate that claims you passed a simple written exam.

Before I go further, let’s take a look at the second amendment for clarification. “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” The bulk of this amendment is speaking about the security of a Free State, because the writers believed that if a government had no fear of its people, the government would seize power, and the State would no longer be free.

The point I stress here, is “A well-regulated Militia…” Many protest posters will quote the last clause of this amendment, and claim that any regulation isn’t legal. However, the amendment does state that the militia must be regulated. How can you have both? Simple, everyone has the right to own a weapon, but in order to fulfill that right, you must fulfill regulatory duties. Your right to own a weapon is not infringed upon because you always have the opportunity to fulfill your duties.

The duties I am referring too are similar to the duties you must fulfill to drive a motor vehicle. For example, to own a pistol, you must first prove you can properly use and understand the power of a pistol. This is done through a series of classes, perhaps five classes, once a night for a week, or one class a week for five weeks. After you have shown you can fire, clean, store, and load a weapon, and that you are mentally capable of owning a weapon responsibly, you are given an affidavit. You then must take this certificate to the county sheriff and perform a final examination; if you pass you are given a photo ID that lists restrictions on it, similar to a driving restriction for glasses. Then in order to purchase a gun, you must present this I.D. to a legally certified gun store (who also must undergo a test process). After you purchase the gun, that gun’s serial number is linked to your ID number and your name. There would be no need for the vendor to perform a background check and wait three days because the fact an individual has this license to own a weapon means that the background check has already been performed. These IDs would need to be renewed every two years by taking the final examination and a mental exam again.

Furthermore, an individual must purchase insurance on the gun, to protect themselves if one of their weapons is ever stolen. The insurance company can notify the police and hopefully the weapon can be recovered. If that weapon is subsequently used in a crime, the original owner has proof that he/she filed a claim.

I also propose a state-by-state inventory of all weapons. Because this is a militia and not a military, the government cannot use this inventory except in criminal cases, but it is important to have a record of gun ownership. Each state uses the same system, so that way in federal crimes, the FBI can easily track a gun from state to state. Also, there are further regulations if you have children, a mentally challenged family member, or a family member with a severe criminal record. For example, if you have children, your pistol cannot be left in the house loaded, the ammunition and gun must be in separate spots, at least 10 feet apart (opposite sides of a room). If you own rifles they must be securely locked in a gun locker. Will this stop a child from playing with a gun? No, but hopefully it stops them from accidentally shooting someone or themselves. How would this regulation be enforced? Simple. Just like you can be stopped in your car by police to do an inspection on your vehicle, when you get your license to own a weapon it is made clear that the police can stop at your residence once every two years without cause to make sure you are obeying the laws.

Gun shows have been a hot topic as well lately. In my system would these be shut down? No. However, there would be police at the gates of the show making sure that everyone has properly registered their guns, and could not leave with the weapon until it had been done. Also, every weapon that is up for sale at these events must be noted as a record.

Here is where this idea gets a little more radical. No weapons should be banned. Not assault weapons, machine guns, tanks, planes, or even nuclear weapons. Here is why. The regulations for these weapons are much more strict than for a pistol. For example, in order to own an assault weapon, you must go through 18 weeks of training. In order to own a machine gun, you must go through 50 weeks of training. In order to own a tank you must go through four years of training. And so on. Not to mention, a tank would cost millions of dollars, so very few individuals could afford it even if they did pass the tests.

This system provides for a well regulated and well-armed militia, while keeping guns out of the hands of the irresponsible and incapable. I am truly disappointed at the politicians in Washington who insist on more gun control, when the answer is weapon regulation. This system would be a complete overhaul of the current system and would satisfy many. I honestly believe this system would reduce the amount of violence. More gun control will not solve anything just like it hasn’t in the past, but regulation and testing may.