Politicians and and far too many members of the media would have us believe that controlling, regulating or even confiscating guns is the answer to preventing gun violence. Until the Federal and State Governments go after the Gangs and Criminals with the same fervor they did with organized crime, this problem is guaranteed to continue!
I can tell you unequivocally what will make a significant impact not only on gun violence, but many other crimes as well. This includes Robbery, Burglary, Aggravated Assault, Rape, Car Jacking, Home Invasions, Drug Dealing, etc. Rarely does a person go from having a clean criminal record to becoming a murderer! Almost all start with lesser crimes, many involving guns, until they finally "graduate" to taking a human life. Far too many of these same offenders are later released to repeat the process all over again!
By having a Criminal Justice System with a revolving door, we allow these repeat offenders to continue to victimize the innocent. It's hard to commit crimes when you're locked in prison! Many Politicians want to say we have a "gun problem" when in reality, what we have is a Judicial, Criminal Control problem! Here are REAL solutions that will dramatically effect not only violent crimes, but ALL crime:
1. STRONG MANDATORY SENTENCES for anyone using a gun in the commission of a crime. If you're caught with a gun while committing a crime, you should be sentenced to an AUTOMATIC 20 Years in Federal Prison, PLUS the time for whatever your crime was. Example: If you are convicted of dealing drugs and are in possession of a gun, you get 5 years for dealing drugs AND 20 Years for having a gun during the commission of a crime and end up with a 25 year sentence. No parole, no good time, no concurrent sentencing. If you're convicted of Murder, you might get 30 years for Murder AND 20 Years for using a gun. With a 50 year or more sentence, and no chance of parole, they've effectively ended their lives in prison! Even the dumbest of Criminals will realize the cost is simply too great to use a gun!
2. CONVICTED FELONS and MENTALLY DEFECTIVE: If you're a convicted Felon or a person adjudicated mentally defective and you're caught with a gun, even if you've committed no other crime, you should get an automatic 10 years in Federal Prison or a secure Mental Institution. No parole, no good time, etc. How many then will think before they hit the streets carrying an illegal gun?
3. FEDERALLY MANDATED MENTAL HEALTH REPORTING: There needs to be a Federal law that requires the mandatory reporting of those adjudicated mentally defective to the NICS background check system. Currently only 27 States report to this system! Still others don't even use the Federal NICS system, but instead use their own State run system. That means 23 States are NOT reporting the Mentally defective! This is why nut jobs slip through the cracks!
4. DISQUALIFYING GUN OWNERSHIP CONVICTIONS: If you're a gun owner and are convicted of a Felony or other disqualifying offense, you sign a legal document acknowledging that you are required to turn in your firearms to be sold at auction and the proceeds used to make restitution for your crime. Also, if you're found with a gun at ANY time in the future, you get an automatic 20 Years. How many would then choose to risk 20 years by retaining or using a firearm?
5. COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN: Historically, this Country has had a huge problem with drinking and driving. Our Nation launched a focused campaign to educate people on the dangers of drunk driving, how to be responsible and got tough on those convicted of drunk driving. As a result of that campaign, drinking and driving has been cut in half! This same approach needs to be made when it comes to firearms training, safe storage responsibility and to educate youths on their future opportunities and the consequences of actions that include criminal behavior.
6. COMMUNITY RESOURCES: In an era where our youth worship sports figures and music stars, we need to establish mentoring problems to help at risk youth realize the unlimited potential of education and hard work! At the same time, these same Mentors can emphasize the importance of good decision making and conflict resolution, instead of destroying lives through violence.
CRIMINALS SHOULD NOT DETERMINE THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF LAW ABIDING CITIZENS. Only by holding CRIMINALS responsible for their actions and educating people do we solve this problem! Do the American People simply want Politicians to "do something," that has little to no chance of actually reducing violence, or do they want these same Politicians to DEMAND we hold Criminals responsible for their actions and actually reduce ALL crime, especially gun violence? Only by adopting these laws will we make a REAL reduction in gun violence, ensure the Constitutional Rights of law abiding Citizens, while at the same time protecting them from being victimized by Criminals!
I agree with President Obama on one point. The Victims of Gun Violence DESERVE to have meaningful laws passed that will actually protect us all by deterring Criminals and taking them off the street. The answer is NOT to make Criminals of law abiding gun owners.
Imagine this....
If mandatory minimum sentences are passed for gun violations, the prison population would swell, but Dart says there is no place for the swell of inmates to go.
Chicago's mayor and police chief are now saying they want want mandatory minimum sentences for people who commit gun violations, while at the same time say they can't afford it. This past week, Mayor Rahm Emanuel called for even tougher gun laws, CBS News reports, and Police Superintendent Gary McCarthy says “gun offenders have to do significant jail time.”
“We can't have this irrational type of notion that there's magic jail cells all over the place that are all sitting there empty, " said Dart. "It's as if all of a sudden we just raise penalties and these people get shipped off to the moon or something.” READ THE FULL STORY HERE
So what do we take from all of this? It's easier and cheaper to infringe upon the Constitutionally protected rights of law abiding Citizens than it is to hold Criminals accountable!
No comments:
Post a Comment