Fucking idiot should go to jail.

[Ibby]

So, as a fairly pro-gun liberal, I have a possible compromise scenario to run by you die-hards:

prior to gun ownership, along with existing background checks, all potential owners must complete a training (just like you have to do to get a driver's license or whatever), 4 hours or whatever, with in-depth legal and practical walkthroughs, coupled with much harsher penalties for firearms incidents? Short of calling character witnesses to prove you're a responsible, intelligent adult that can handle a firearm, how do we tackle the problem (regardless of how dire a problem you believe it is, I think we all agree that ANY accidental injury or death from firearm use is a problem) of accidental gun death?

I would argue that in cases of intentional murder, in most cases, preventing murderers from getting guns is too lofty a goal - the whole "only criminals will have guns" argument - but in cases of irresponsible firearm use, a stricter or more in-depth licensing program, coupled with, for example, both harsher criminal penalties for hurting someone and a suspension program for less serious gun infractions - just like driving a damn car, if you do it wrong, you get a time-out.

to be fair, I don't know quite how in-depth the process is as it exists, but I think liberty can stand intact while preventing irresponsible operators from endangering others.