What Would Real Gun Reform Look Like?

United States – -(AmmoLand.com)- Recently, anti-Second Amendment extremists have taken to using the phrase “gun reform” when it comes to their agenda. But the term, as was the case when they tried to hijack the term “gun safety,” is clearly misapplied by them. What they are proposing is not reform.

Why is that? Well, the American Heritage Dictionary defines reform as “to improve by alteration, correction of error, or removal of defects; put into a better form or condition.” So, it is fair to ask what would constitute true reform in terms of our Second Amendment rights. It should go without saying that while Eric Swalwell said he was for reform during his campaign, his gun ban agenda is anything but that.

Because wrongfully punishing millions of Americans who had nothing to do with shootings like Parkland, Las Vegas, the Tree of Life Synagogue, or Newtown by infringing on their Second Amendment rights is not reform. Instead, the proper word for what these infringements are is injustice. Those who carry out those horrific acts are the ones who should be penalized – those who have not misused their Second Amendment rights ought to keep them.

If you look down the line at those whose campaigns have lasted longer than Swalwell’s, like Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Beto O’Rourke, Kamala Harris, and Cory Booker, among others, while some call for “reform,” they’re just trying to convince our fellow Americans to go along with the injustices they intend to inflict on law-abiding Americans. So, we have a sense that when anti-Second Amendment extremists call for reform, it’s really about stripping away our rights.

So, what would real reform look like? In this case, we should look towards the “correction of error” and “removal of defects” portions of the definition of “reform.” And the errors that need corrected and the defects that must be removed are quite plentiful. Furthermore, we can sell this reform to our fellow Americans in conjunction with the right approach to defending our rights.

For instance, in an era where cops can handle an average traffic stop in 20 minutes, to include checking for warrants, there is no reason that the National Instant Check System shouldn’t have an answer in the same timeframe. Furthermore, if there is a system to instantly determine if a person is disqualified from even touching a firearm, then it is pretty clear that waiting periods (like California’s) and licensing schemes (like those in New York and New Jersey) have no legitimate purpose. Reform, in this case, is eliminating waiting periods and licensing schemes, not imposing them, which was supported by the likes of Booker and John Hickenlooper.

In one sense, the same can also be said of items covered under the National Firearms Act. If a person’s prohibited status can be quickly ascertained, do we need the convoluted transfer process that is currently the law? Incidentally, since the real “weapons of war” that are so often demonized by anti-Second Amendment extremists are arguably protected by U.S. v. Miller. After all, the select-fire M4 carbine is currently standard issue for the United States military. So the 1986 Hughes Amendment can go, and anti-Second Amendment extremists have a choice: It can go via legislation, or it can go when the Supreme Court hears the case.

When it come to the carrying of firearms, there is room for reform there. In this case, it will be in the sense of abolishing “abuse or malpractice” in the carry laws of some states. “May issue” jurisdictions are in particular need of this type of reform, since they allow the arbitrary denial of the right to bear arms. And national reciprocity should also be included as well – after all, a driver’s license is valid in all 50 states, why shouldn’t a carry permit be valid?

The fact of the matter is, when it comes to “gun reform,” anti-Second Amendment extremists are gaslighting the American people. When it comes down to it, Second Amendment supporters are the ones who are pushing the real “gun reform” in America.

About Harold Hutchison

Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.