Yesterday I proposed that there ought to be a public, accessible registry of assault-type guns in the United States. This would be similar to the sex offenders’ registry that locates these offenders in neighborhoods. One would simply enter a Zip Code and the addresses would show up. With this information, neighbors would have valuable information upon which to make important decisions.
Such decisions might include whether or not to move from the neighborhood. Additionally, if a move was not possible, then the home owner would be able to caution their children to stay away from ‘that house.’ Further, it would be helpful for the adult neighbors as well so that they do not agitate or argue with said neighbor.
It is interesting that neighbors are often concerned about a neighbor’s unkempt lawn or whether a truck is illegally parked on the street or a car parked on the grass. Or loud music at 2 AM patio parties. And barking dogs. Yet, most worrisome as a neighbor, is whether the guy next door or 3 houses down owns an assault weapon and a stockpile of ammunition for it. But nobody knows. Therefore, a quiet, neat neighborhood may not be the idealistic place to live; it may, in fact, be a deadly choice. But nobody knows.
Until it’s too late.
Did any of the neighbors of Mrs.Lanza know that she had a military assault weapon in her house? If neighbors had known this and they also knew that her son was ‘weird,’ would one of the neighbors have ‘acted’ in some way?
Without a national registry and public access, nobody knows what lies behind that closed front door. Should neighbors know?
Man With the Muckrake 
If information like this was ever a part of how expedia customers chose their vacation deals…it might have a very big effect on Florida as a place I might think I could have fun in the sun. Well maybe I could as long as I kept my mouth shut about the quality fo service at the local Little Caesers Pizza carry out….
A senior NASA scientist said today, ” But it’s a little scary to think of millions of people who are storing up guns and ammo and machetes. I just hope they stay in their hole on the 21st and don’t come out and make a mess.”
Yes, I hope they stay in their “safe room” with their A-15s and don’t come out until the end of the 14th baktun!
CNN:
Gunmaker Ryan Croft in Asheville, North Carolina, does take the prediction seriously. He is building a special assault rifle to deal with any signs of doom lurking around the corner. His new rifle, a hybrid of an AR-15 and an AK-47, is designed to handle it and be easy to use at the same time, the Gulf War veteran said. Trouble in the United States could ensue in the wake of an economic catastrophe, he thinks.
I actually think your proposal would make sense to many of the gun rights advocates who think that any attempt to talk about this is an assault on their perceived rights. I actually saw a comment on MikeB’s blog that inferred that anyone who didn’t own guns had no business talking about guns. Now that’s a tad too touchy for me….
“I actually think your proposal would make sense to many of the gun rights advocates who think that any attempt to talk about this is an assault on their perceived rights.”
I disagree Dottie. Many gun rights advocates have a problem with registering their weapons with local law enforcement. I don’t think they would love the idea of registering themselves on the internet.
Many gun rights advocates have a problem with registering their weapons with local law enforcement.
Why is that, JOB? What do they fear? Are they seriously afraid of ‘The Government?’
I want to add a postscript to my New York story. So, the SWAT team captures Bobby. This was neighbor across the hall on the top floor of my East Village Apartment building. The doors to the apartment are wide open, plus there is a hole bashed through the wall. Okay, I live with this mess for a 1/2 year….Bobby has disappeared into the bowels of the Justice system, but no real news of what is going on. Then one day about a year later, I am in Tompkins Square Park on a nice summer day and I hear a voice, “Hey Man” I freeze and turn around, there is Bobby, dressed in a slightly soiled hospital orderlies outfit with some kind of name tag pinned to it. He had been deemed insane, placed in Bellvue under some kind of treatment and then one day he swiped an orderly outfit and just walked away and was living with some girl over in a squat building on Ave. C….Charming little guy very intelligent, but absolutely mad, armed and dangerous! I actually wrote a song about him…a punk ballad called Black Sheep, the legend of Bobby Valdez…..
“What’s Wrong With Kansas” has been cited on here a number of times.
Well, this morning on “Morning Joe” it was answered. If you didn’t catch
it live, then look for a transcript. A guest was a Congressman from Kansas,
a Republican, who was brought on the show to talk about Boehner’s failed
Plan B legislation. At the very end, Mika asked him about if he supported assualt weapon control. He, said
No!” and then he accused Joe of politicizing the issue. With that Joe was off to the races. This Congressman said in the first part he would not support any bill increasing revenue, not even one milimeter and he finished by saying the same thing about asualt weapon control. There it is, M_R,
in full view of “what is wrong with Kansas.”