I don’t know about this specific case, but in general one way of handling the assault rifle (AR) problem might be this. In communities that worry about ARs, in line with the “well regulated militia” part of the Second Amendment, there could be a central repository/armory (in large cities, several) where for a small fee people could deposit their ARs and ammunition for safe keeping unless wanted to go target shooting or the like. This could also be a place where people going on vacation could leave their weapons to prevent having their homes broken into and stolen. If the mother who was killed by her crazy son with her AR could have deposited her weapons in a place like that, he would not have killed her for the key, and 26 people (20 children) would probably still be alive.
My recollection is that our patriots at Lexington and Concord had some such arrangement, and took the weapons out of storage to meet the Red Coats on the square.
Brilliant suggestion! Just freaking brilliant! Let’s all hand our guns over to the government! That way they can’t confiscate them.
Firearms and gunpowder stored in a central location were what the British were attempting to seize and destroy. It sure would've been easier than going from house to house.
BTW, the most compelling reason for such storage in those days was the need to store large quantities of loose gunpowder in a dry place, far from spark and flame. So it did make a certain amount of sense in historical context. Now, all such storage would do is make things easier for a government that is no longer worthy of our trust.
The citizens on the frontier did not turn them into a central location. To do so would have been suicide. I bet the patriots at Le3xington and concord did not do so either. They may have stored weapons and ammo there but when they went to meet the British they simply pulled their rifles and muskets off the wall.
“If the mother who was killed by her crazy son with her AR could have deposited her weapons in a place like that, he would not have killed her for the key, and 26 people (20 children) would probably still be alive.”
Please pause and consider if that really makes any sense.
First of all, we have no idea if he ‘killed her for the key’....gee, he could have waited until she went to the grocery store, and got to the guns for all we know. Maybe....he just wanted to kill his mom.
And do you really believe a lack of an ‘assault weapon’ would have prevented his killing spree? Every single one of these school massacre guys has shown an incredible amount of patience, and resourcefulness...they get their jollies on the planning stage, so adding one more hurdle will just be seen as a challenge. The Columbine boys a) used straw buyers to get illegal guns and b) brought propane bombs with them. The Colorado guy - imagine how long it took him to patiently make his pipe bombs and booby trap his apartment. Loughner...no access to an AR, just used a pair of pistols.
Trivia question - why is Newtown billed as the worst school shooting in American history, but not the worst school massacre in American history?
What the heck are you doing on FR?
Are you going to tell the home invaders to wait an hour while you run out to get your weapons?
“...a central repository/armory...where for a small fee people could deposit their ARs and ammunition for safe keeping”
Not dismissing your idea out of hand, an armory/arms room could be considered IF
1. It is privately owned & operated. A large retail gun store/indoor range facility could build & operate an arms room for the benefit of black rifle owners who live in apartments or are uncertain of their own home’s security.
2. It is located in a gun friendly state with a preemption law against local gun control zealots, and without a Cuomonist style governor who might use emergency orders to seize stored weapons a la British at Lexington.
Otherwise, a central armory filled with privately owned firearms is a tempting target for gungrabbers.
****there could be a central repository/armory (in large cities, several) where for a small fee people could deposit their ARs and ammunition for safe keeping unless wanted to go target shooting or the like.****
Then there is nothing to prevent the government from seizing the storage facility and confiscate the guns which are all in one place.
Aristotle tells of a politician who called a meeting of the citizens who always came armed to the meetings. This politician told the people to store their arms in a temple while the meeting took place.
When the people got out they found the politician had sent his armed men to seize the temple, then he declared himself to be the monarch of the city.
General Gage required the citizens of Boston to turn in their weapons for storage at Faneuil Hall in Boston. They would later be returned to the citizens. He then seized the weapons and refused to return them.
http://www.bostonteapartyship.com/faneuil-hall
Ted Kennedy suggested that all guns be stored in government controlled arsenals years ago. The public didn’t bite.
http://www.davekopel.org/2a/Foreign/arms-and-the-greeks.htm
In the sixth century BCE, a tyrant named Pisistratus took over Athens. Aristotle explained how the tyrant obtained absolute power by disarming the people of every city he controlled:
After his victory in the battle at Pallene he captured Athens, and when he had disarmed the people he at last had his tyranny securely established, and was able to take Naxos (a Greek island) and set up Lygdamis as ruler there. He effected the disarmament of the people in the following manner. He ordered a parade in full armour in the Theseum (a temple), and began to make a speech to the people.
He spoke for a short time, until the people called out that they could not hear him, whereupon he bade them come up to the entrance of the Acropolis, in order that his voice might be better heard. Then, while he continued to speak to them at great length, men whom he had appointed for the purpose collected the arms and locked them up in the chambers of the Theseum hard by, and came and made a signal to him that it was done.
Pisistratus accordingly, when he had finished the rest of what he had to say, told the people also what had happened to their arms; adding that they were not to be surprised or alarmed, but go home and attend to their private affairs, while he would himself for the future manage all the business of the state. (Aristotle, The Athenian Constitution, ch. 15, translated by Sir Frederic G. Kenyon)
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