With the recent slaughter of our citizens in Connecticut, Americans must take a serious look at our society and who or what is driving the agenda. Is mass murder compromising our freedom because we are forcing ourselves into more security rather than sensible and pragmatic regulations and procedures?

The NRA (National Rifle Association) and it supporters want no restrictions, controls or limits on the possession and ownership of guns in the USA. However the constant drumbeat of mass murder by people who should never have had access to any kind of weapon, and the thought of no serious and meaningful changes leaves me confounded.

In the USA there is regulation of almost everything, except in many states, the ownership of guns. We incarcerate many of our people for possession of miniscule amounts of marijuana, or crack cocaine, while individuals can roam the streets with weapons of mass human destruction.

On September 11 2001, 19 terrorists, mass murderers, lunatics, individuals with destructive motives or however they are described, commandeered four aircraft and murdered approximately 3,000 human beings and there was a huge outcry from every humane person on this earth, not heard since WWII. Over the last 10 years, many more than 3,000 were murdered by guns and there is an uncanny hush from most. In 2011 alone over 10,000 persons were killed by guns in the USA more than three times those who died on September 11, and in the last 10 years since September 11th, more than 100,000 persons have been killed by guns.

Before September 11, there were regulations in the aviation industry preventing most persons from casually owning or commandeering aircraft without some level of scrutiny, after September 11th the criteria for access to aircraft has been significantly increased in an attempt to reduce the possibility of heinous acts by individuals with murderous Intentions. If there were no regulations, incidents of mass murder using aircraft could have been widespread. However in the gun industry the regulations are nearly nonexistent or so watered down as to be superficial, arbitrarily enforced and as we see time and time again easy to get round. Almost anyone can purchase a gun, sometimes without even an ID. In many states, individuals can sell guns at flea markets without restrictions.

To sell or change ownership of a car, there is a transfer of registration that must be recorded in the state of sale; it is almost the same procedure for most purchases, other than household items and foodstuff. To purchase a cigarette lighter or some medication, many states require proof that the purchaser is over 18 years old; to purchase alcohol the purchaser must prove that they are over the age of 21. But to purchase guns there is little or no recordation process in many states.

I am all for freedom but not “freedumb”. I believe that persons should be allowed to purchase guns as long as they meet the requirements of my proposed solutions, no different to automobile ownership, except that we must remember guns can be concealed unlike automobiles.

My Proposed solutions:
• Every gun must be registered with the ATF (online registration can easily be achieved)
• Every gun must be ballistic tested and records held by the ATF
• Every transfer of ownership of guns must be registered and recorded with the ATF
• Guns must be categorized based on their lethality, automatic/semi-automatic, potential magazine capacity, etc.
• Every gun owner must be trained in the use of firearms and pass a competence test for the use of guns in the respective category.
• Every gun owner must have insurance for gun ownership.
• Every gun owner must be over the legal driving age in their respective state.
• Every gun owner must be solely responsible for their guns, in the same way if my car is recorded running a red light I am liable for the penalty irrespective of the driver

Americans are the smartest and the brightness in the world, we must be able to take ownership of the solutions to stop the genocide of our people by guns. We have found solutions to many of the world’s problems and have proven time and time again to be innovative and creative when presented with a challenge. We have walked on the moon, we are the most powerful, we are the richest, but we allow easy gun ownership and possession to kill more of our people in one year than in the entire 10 year period of the war in Afghanistan. If anyone else in the world dared kill as many of its own people, we would travel to the end of the universe to find them and bring them to justice. We must therefore enact simple laws and procedures to save ourselves for our unmitigated lust for “freedom”, less we imprison ourselves with unbridled security, thus negating our ideals.

In closing: I offer my sincere condolences to the families of those murdered in Connecticut.