Ammo control needed now
When it comes to gun laws in our land of the free and home of the brave, money and political influence continue to rule in spite of overwhelming evidence that something more must be done here to stop the mass murdering.
At least 59 people were killed and about 530 people were injured Sunday evening when a madman opened fire on a country music festival crowd at Las Vegas.
This terrible news is shocking and sad, but can we say we were really surprised by it?
The gun violence that we used to only read about in Europe and other far away, war-torn regions of the world are now occurring on a regular basis in this country.
Using rapid-fire guns from the 32nd floor of a hotel overlooking the crowd, this time the madman’s rampage spanned nine to 11 minutes. The bloodbath is being called the worst in U.S. history.
What can be done to prevent this kind of senseless carnage from happening in the U.S.?
Efforts to tighten gun control laws haven’t worked, so maybe it’s time for ammunition control.
Under federal and many state laws, the same people prohibited from buying guns in this country are prohibited from buying bullets, it’s been reported. But virtually no systems are in place to enforce that.
In 46 states, anyone can walk into a store - or click on a website - and buy bullets, no questions asked, it has been reported.
Not only should background checks be required for anyone seeking to buy bullets - using the same system as the existing one for guns – but bullet purchases should be monitored just as closely as some prescription drugs are in this country.
Tightening gun restrictions through traditional legislative channels has been a frustrating dead end for gun-control proponents.
In the years since the mass school shooting in Newtown, Conn., far more laws have been passed to loosen gun regulations than to strengthen them, it seems.
A small group of gun-control advocates have, for years, been making the case that bullets are as good, if not better, a target for regulation than guns. Without bullets, they point out, a gun is a useless piece of metal. And unlike guns, bullets must continually be replaced.
Medical pharmacies, using computer technology, have mastered the tasks of monitoring and tracking medicinal purchases.
The same importance should be placed on monitoring and tracking ammunition purchases.
