I just listened to a self-professed liberal democrat talking about solving the gun problem on a local radio station.
The guy is Dan Baum, and he was promoting his new book, "Gun Guys: A Road Trip" Gun Guys: A Road Trip: Dan Baum: 9780307595416: Amazon.com: Books -

His "Road Trip" took place a few years ago, and the book was set to hit the bookshelves just after the tragedy at Newtown. He help up the book just enough to make a mention of it, but all his views stem from the pre-Newtown trip. His opinions have not changed.

He makes some very good points--at least to this conservative/ libertarian--which should be note-worthy in itself.

He maintains that one of the chief areas of pride of gun ownership is NOT as the typical gun-grabber maintains--the desire to kill something. He says it is more the pride in safely handling devices, and teaching others to do the same, that are capable of killing things. I think this is a significant insight. The problem, as he states it, with the typical gun grabber approach is that it insults the gun owners, and more significantly, removes their expertise in safe gun ownership from the solution. If the gun owners take great pride in their personal safe handling of their guns, then wouldn't we benefit by having them as part of the solution?
He also mentions that we have over 3,000,000 guns in the country in private hands. Even if we banned all new weapons today, there would still be 3,000,000 guns out there.
He advocates a simple solution that doesn't require any government involvement. Following the tactics of the Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and later, the anti smoking crusaders, he wants to see a change in attitudes among gun owners. That new attitude would be that it is as unthinkable to not lock guns in a gun safe as it is to smoke in someone else's house. To those who say that a locked gun is of no use in home defense, he replies that there are quick opening safes available that permit instant access--no more restrictive than opening the drawer on the night stand. Guns should either be locked, or worn on the hip, or be in the process of transfer to another location or they should be locked in a safe.
He also points out that like many lobby groups, the supposed voice of the gun owner, the NRA, represents less than 5% of all gun owners.
Respect for the gun owner, and his knowledge rather than vilifying the gun owner, he says, would be a step in the right direction.
I tend to agree. Did you ever think you'd see me agree with a self-avowed liberal democrat on anything--especially anything as given to demagogic rhetoric as the gun issue?

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

A voice of reason. Who'd have thought?

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You're a daisy if you do.
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84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

I suggested this back in Dec. You can see how the idea was received here

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2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

Word.

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On some nights I still believe that a car with the fuel gauge on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. - HST

1983 300SD - 305000
1984 Toyota Landcruiser - 190000
1994 GMC Jimmy - 203000

https://media.giphy.com/media/X3nnss8PAj5aU/giphy.gif

I find it very offensive that the NRA wants to paint all people who wish any sort of restrictions on the acquisition of fire arms or ammo as gun grabbers.

Kindof equal to saying a man who looks at a woman is a would be rapist if he just had the chance.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Just as gun owners find it offensive to be labeled as criminals. If we can go beyond the emotional part we can find a solution, like Dan Baum shows us.

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

MS, glad to see that you are siding with reason regardless of political affiliation.

As David pointed out, this idea has many proponents, but is still routinely slathered with the 'slippery slope' rhetoric.

I think it is imperative that reasonable ideas like this are put forth, and supported by the responsible gun owners. It seems like many argue against ideas that they already consider common sense, and practice in their own homes, all in the name of 'shall not be infringed'.
Failing to accept sensible concepts marginalizes all the defenders of 2A.

The 500lb elephant in the room though, is how does one change the attitudes?

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On some nights I still believe that a car with the fuel gauge on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. - HST

1983 300SD - 305000
1984 Toyota Landcruiser - 190000
1994 GMC Jimmy - 203000

https://media.giphy.com/media/X3nnss8PAj5aU/giphy.gif

Good point. As a gun owner I would feel that way as well but have not noticed myself being characterized so.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

While we are on the subject of safe storage, why don't we add in a little on media bias.

Read these two articles about the same event and see if you can tell the difference.

Man Kills Two Kids With Pitchfork - ABC News

Shouldn't We Repeal The Gun Laws... If It'll Save A Single Child? - Gun Owners of America

Jim

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1995 S350D, Green with black leather interior.
Bought January 2008 w/ 233,xxx miles.
I did 22,000 miles during the first year of ownership.

Your post doesn't really help. How many kids are killed by pitch fork wielding lunatics and how many are killed by improper stored guns?

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

How many times have guns been used to stop criminals in any given year? Most go unreported. Of those that are reported to the news very few end up in the news. Two weeks ago a friend of mine used her handgun to chase two people out of her house without firing a shot. Had it been "properly stored" she might not be here today. Her story never ended up in print. Defensive use of handguns happens a lot more than you hear about.

Every single shooting of a child ends up in the news. That last child death due to an unsecured gun that I saw in the news was where a toddler shot himself with his drug dealer dad's STOLEN gun while he was passed out on the couch with the gun on the coffee table.

How many are killed by pitchfork welding lunitics, very few. Open that up to lunitics and I bet the number jumps to way above the few that get killed playing with daddy's gun.

Know your kids. Store accordingly.

Jim

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1995 S350D, Green with black leather interior.
Bought January 2008 w/ 233,xxx miles.
I did 22,000 miles during the first year of ownership.

I can't find the numbers for 1997 but I serious doubt the figure of 5. Here are the number for 1999.

"In 1999, 3,385 children and youth ages 0-19 years were killed with a gun. This includes homicides, suicides, and unintentional injuries.
This is equivalent to about 9 deaths per day, a figure commonly used by journalists.
The 3,385 firearms-related deaths for age group 0-19 years breaks down to:

214 unintentional
1,078 suicides
1,990 homicides
83 for which the intent could not be determined
20 due to legal intervention

Of the total firearms-related deaths:
73 were of children under five years old
416 were children 5-14 years old
2,896 were 15-19 years old

Gun Safety for Kids and Youth: Your Child: University of Michigan Health System

Teen Homicide, Suicide, and Firearm Deaths | Child Trends Databank

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

Yep, those numbers sound right. Now take out of those suicide & homicide. Take out of those the number of times it was a police officer doing the shooting.

Now take out any of the numbers that were done by someone over 10 years old. You end up with about 5. Little Jimmy rarely finds daddy's gun and uses it.

In addition, how many of those thousands of deaths happened in places where it is illegal for anyone under 20 and almost impossible for anyone 20 and over to have a gun in the first place? (Chicago, New York, DC).

Stop trying to tell the vast majority of LEGAL gun owners how to run their lives. We are not the problem.

Jim

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1995 S350D, Green with black leather interior.
Bought January 2008 w/ 233,xxx miles.
I did 22,000 miles during the first year of ownership.

I don't tell you how to run you life, I'm not interested in it. I'm just showing you the numbers.

214 unintentional
and
1,078 suicides
1,990 homicides
83 for which the intent could not be determined
20 due to legal intervention

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

Fifty years ago this was the norm. Guns were considered tools and not toys.

If the true gun nuts out there cannot see that they are a part of the problem then the problem will never go away. They should be first and foremost teaching about gun safety and the proper use of guns. But nope, all I hear is how if you don't have a room full of guns then you are not a Man.

I can remember the first time I bought a gun new. The salesman did all he could to sell me the most exotic looking gun in the store when all I wanted was a simple double action .357 with a six inch barrel. He even pulled the old 'You are not a Man without one of these' on me. That just about killed the deal right then, but they had what I wanted in stock so I just bought what I wanted and left. I guess that approach must work since I see gun makers are still using it. By the way, that was about 45 years ago.

A gun collector I know would and does fully support the suggestions made in the original posting. He also is 100% for background checks. He understands the power a person has in their hands and thinks there should be at least some small amount of training that goes along with owning one. No one thinks of him as a gun crazy person because he is not. He is careful with all of his tools and cannot understand why everyone else is not as eat up with safety as himself.

Instead of whining 'Obama' or whatever every chance they get gun owners should be yelling 'safety' and 'responsibility'. If any new gun laws are passed they will only have themselves to blame due to their trying to deny they are a part of the problem.

And as far as respect for gun owners goes... Respect has to be earned.