Yeah, Slag-ster, the crimals will always find a way to own guns but should we be facilitators... Should we be making it easy... I'm less concerned with convicted murderers who are back on the street than I am with the guy who has a string or misdomeanor assualts, or the guy like the Va Teck shooter who had been in the mantal health system...

When I was in social work I knew a lotta folks who got killed by their friends and family... Iwent into homes where I could almost predict that gun violence would occur... Protective services couldn'r care less until the kid or wife was lieing in a pool of blood... Then they would say stuff lie, "Our hands are tied"...

And their hands were tied becuase very angry husbands, with court orders to keep away from the wife and kids, could walk into a gun store and walk out with a handgun... This happens every day somewhere in America... Social workers know who shouldn't have access to handguns... Teachers certianly know...

It was, ahhhh, 1978 and I went to a home and the kids had welts and bruises all over them and mom and dad were screaming at each other and the kids... The mother had bruses on her face... I went to protective services and reported what I had seen... Their response was "Sorry, if you din't witness the abuse then we can't do anything abhout it"... This still goes on todua, BTW... Amonth later, angry hubby walked into a gu shop on Southside Richmond, bought a hand gun, took it home and killed his wife and 3 of 4 of his kids... The one that survived only survived because she was outta thye house at the time...

There are fols who plainlu don't nedd to posess handguns, or guns, period... Cops knopw who they are... The court system knows... Teachers know... Social workers know... Family members know... Neighbors know...

Yet the NRA, because it represents the interets of folks who ***make money*** on handguns couldn't care less about these very disturbed people who have a high likely hood of using these handguns to kill fellow human beings???

So here is ol' Bobert's opinion on where the NRA is mssin' a golden opportunity... If they would get on board here is how gun ownersip would play out:

1. John Doe wants a gun.

2. John Doe, in order to own one legally has to complete an NRA (or similar() course in resposible gun ownership.

3. Upon completion, John Do9e gets a certificate allowing hinm to purchase his gun or guns.

4. John Doe then makes application to a local ATF office wherer a back ground cheak is performed and if ol' John ain't under some protective order, a guy who is involved with mental health serivices or has as history of violent acts then he gets a certificate to purchase a gun...

What the heck is wrong with this??? Most people are killed by their friends or ex-freinds... This would go a long way toward cutting down on murder in America...

Is is perfect?? Heck, no... But it is a start and it says to the general population that we collectively care about life... That, in itself, would speak volumes...

And the NRA could be on the vanguard of such an approach, if they would get their heads outta making money toward making everyone safer...

B~