The Responsible Gun Owner Amendment

I had a dream that somehow we needed to add an amendment in the Bill of Rights that protected people harmed by others who misuse firearms and deny their fellow citizens the right to live in safety.

That's why I created a petition to The United States House of Representatives.

Will you sign this petition? Click here:

http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/the-responsible-gun-owner?source=c.em.cp&r_by=3391810
Thanks!

Here is the text I wrote in full:

“The Responsible Gun Owner Amendment”

I propose a Constitutional amendment which states:

All individuals in the territorial boundaries of the United States of America and its possessions who wish to own a personal firearm must pass all mandated federal, state and local background checks and pay a $1000 per year federal licensing fee per weapon. Owners who do not renew their firearm license and undergo an annual background check review will be fined $10,000 for each firearm not in compliance with the law. Persons found to be in possession of an unlicensed firearm whose legal owner cannot be verified will bear full responsibility of paying any and all fines and fees associated with said firearm and must be able to pass all mandated federal, state and local background checks. These federal fees and fines are not intended as a substitute for punishment of criminal or civil laws, and the state or local municipality where the owner/person in possession of the firearm resides retains the right to file criminal and/or civil charges against the firearms owner and/or individual in possession of said firearm for violation of state or local laws.

For every use of a firearm in the commission of a crime and/or physical assault against another person or persons by either the owner or an individual in possession of said firearm—whether or not permission to use said firearm was expressly granted by the owner—the owner of the firearm will be fined $1,000,000. Furthermore, for every instance of permanent disability or death of a victim of firearm violence incurred, the owner of the firearm will be fined $10,000,000. If the legal owner(s) of a firearm used to commit a crime, assault or death cannot be verified, the person or persons found to be in possession of the firearm will bear full responsibility of paying any and all fines and fees associated with said firearm. These federal fines are not intended as a substitute for punishment under criminal or civil laws, and the state or local municipality where the firearm violence occurred retains the right to file criminal and/or civil charges against the firearms owner and/or individual in possession of said firearm for violation of state or local laws.

All moneys raised by the firearm licensing fees and fines for misuse of firearms will be deposited into a designated federal fund that will go toward compensation of property/livestock/pets stolen, lost, damaged, destroyed or harmed during the commission of a crime while using a firearm. Also, moneys from said fund will go toward compensation to the immediate family for any and all wages or income lost by the disability or death of a family member by firearm violence. Moneys raised by the firearm licensing fees and fines will also go toward funding the mental and physical rehabilitation of the victims, friends and family members who have suffered as a result of firearm violence, as well as funds to create information programs to educate and promote firearm safety.

A firearm is defined as any weapon that is capable of propelling a projectile with such force to cause harm or death. Such weapons include hand guns, rifles, and automatic assault weapons. Antique or replica firearms used for display purposes or historical reenactments that are modified so as to become incapable of shooting a harmful projectile will be exempt from the law, provided the owner can demonstrate safety precautions have been taken to the satisfaction of law enforcement officers and accepts liability for any misuse of the firearm under criminal/civil laws.

Firearms owned by the federal government and in the possession of active duty members of the United States Armed Services (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, National Guard, or Coast Guard) while on sanctioned maneuvers will be exempt from fees and fines, but the possessor of the firearm may be subject to criminal/civil laws. Firearms owned by the federal government and in the possession of active duty members of federal policing agencies while on sanctioned maneuvers will be exempt from fees and fines, but the possessor of the firearm may be subject to criminal/civil laws. Firearms owned by state or local municipalities and in the possession of on-duty law enforcement officers (i.e., police, sheriff or highway patrol) will be exempt from fees and fines, but the possessor of the firearm may be subject to criminal/civil laws.

Firearms owned by private clubs or organizations, incorporated or unincorporated, will not be exempt from the law. The officers or presumed leaders of the club or organization will be considered the owner(s) of said firearms and will be held responsible for the licensing and care of these weapons in compliance with the law. The officers or presumed leaders of the club or organization designated as owners of said firearms will be liable for any and all fees, fines and criminal/civil charges for misuse of the club’s/organization’s firearms by them, their members or others who may take possession of their weapons.

Congress has the right to enact further legislation to aid the implementation of this amendment such as a gun amnesty program in an established period before the law goes into effect to allow individuals and organizations to relinquish without penalty any and all firearms they do not wish to license.

Peace on Earth. Please?

Editor's note: I wanted to write a beautiful and inspiring blog to celebrate Christmas and send it to all my friends and family members in lieu of sending cards this year... But current circumstances in the world sort of eclipsed my earlier idea of writing about the holidays in Jolly Ol' England. How can anyone write about "jolly" when there is so much pain in the world?

I'm not talking about my own pain, although my personal journey this past year has been a very rough road by anyone's account. And I realize that my publishers recommend that authors of romantic fiction choose only optimistic and entertaining subjects for our blogs. But sometimes a topic comes to mind and there's no way to put it out of your mind unless you write about it and share your thoughts. So here goes.

Peace on earth. Goodwill to all mankind.

We read these sentiments on Christmas cards, but do we ever truly understand what they mean or the costs involved in acting upon them? Sure, it's nice to wish someone peace and other good things, but if you do nothing to provide a way for your fellow man to live in peace and experience happiness or goodwill, how are you helping the situation? Short answer: You're not. Your actions (or lack-of-action) could actually be part of the problem, too.

Some Americans cry and whine about their rights to bear arms being infringed if there is any talk of gun control. In the wake of recent events it's obvious the gun problem still remains. If you're not a hunter who uses your deer rifle to eat the game you shoot, why would you need to own semi-automatic assault weapons or thousands of hand guns unless you want to use them against your neighbors? Short answer: You don't need to own them. Weapons meant to mow down soldiers in short order are weapons of a potential mass murderer, not a tool to be used by a game hunter trying to feed his or her family. Deer and people are not one in the same.

How can you wish your neighbor "peace on earth and goodwill to all mankind" if you are secretly plotting to kill him or her by stockpiling weapons you don't need in the first place? Short answer: You can't.  Stop the whining about gun control and take a hard look in the mirror. Like what you see?

"Goodwill to all mankind" includes wanting what is best for our neighbor. When we allow our neighbors to go without proper health care--up to and including mental health care--how are we showing them we wish them all things "good"? Short answer: We're not. If we deny good things to our neighbors, then we really don't want to wish them "peace and goodwill" do we? We're telling them that we don't care about their plight. It's plain and simple. We're lying. Look in the mirror again. Do you trust this person?

At Christmas, a season known for its emphasis on compassion, how would you describe people who hoard all the good things in life, up to allowing their neighbors to go without proper health care? How would you describe those who are willing to "protect" their material possessions through extreme measures that include possibly using assault weapons against their neighbors? Selfish maybe?

Peace on earth. Goodwill to all mankind.

This Christmas I pray that everyone will think hard about what those words mean. Stop thinking that you exist in a vacuum. Start practicing compassion and stop thinking your neighbor's well-being doesn't matter. It does. Because if we don't start making some changes in our society, it could be you or your beloved child or grandchild who is lying in a coffin with a bullet hole come next year. That is, if a serious illness or accident without access to health care doesn't put you or your loved one in the grave first.

Even the most selfish of us should be able to see that compassion for all benefits us all in the grand scheme of things, right?

Merry Christmas! And as the angels at Bethlehem sang on that special night long ago, "Peace on earth... goodwill to all mankind."

Thanks for reading this far. May your new year be blessed, healthy and happy. Cindy :)