December 3, 2015 9:59 AM
Facts (Source):
- Approximately $2 billion in annual profit made by the gun and ammunition industry (retail store profits included).
- Approximately 300 million guns in America.
- Approximate cost of gun violence in America every year: $229 billion.
Solution:
- Government to pay the gun industry (manufacturers and retail stores) a total of $22 billion every year to not make or sell firearms.
- Government to pay $20,000 for each handgun and $30,000 for each long gun voluntarily turned in by the public.
- Severe jail time for the possession of any unregistered firearm.
Probable Outcome:
- The gun industry would now make a $22 billion profit for doing absolutely nothing. This is ten times what they are currently making. This still leaves $207 billion in the first year alone (Fact #3 – Solution #1) to pay for the firearm buy-back program (Solution #2).
- Most criminals will realize that they will make more money by turning in their firearms than they could make in their criminal endeavors with them, thus dramatically reducing gun violence.
- Law abiding citizens could still own registered firearms, though many will chose to sell to the government. The reduction in household firearms will reduce accidental gun deaths.
- Citizens can still buy and sell firearms privately, though they will be so expensive that it will reduce the likelihood of criminals or the mentally ill from affording them.
- A portion of the funds saved (approximately $200 billion per year after the initial buy-back rush) can be used to combat blackmarket importation of firearms into America.
- The gun industry will be happy (a profit ten times larger than they are currently making).
- Gun owners will be happy (they have the option to keep their weapons and their guns will be worth dramatically more than they paid for them).
- Approximately 11,000 lives will be saved and approximately 84,000 gun related injuries will be reduced per year. (Source)
- Billions of dollars per year will be saved (figure dependent on amount spent in enforcing Outcome #5).
- Untold grief and suffering will be saved.
- America will be much safer.
Obviously the $229 billion a year cost of gun violence isn’t fully paid directly by the government but initially by the insurance, medical industries and individuals injured in gun violence, then by the government and insurance policy holders. Therefore some adjustments in taxes and incentives would need to be made to redirect the saved funds (approximately $200 billion per year (Outcome #5)) to the above programs, but $200 billion a year leaves plenty of room to the government and politicians to maneuver.
But are dollars really the issue?
Or are lives?
The plan works either way.
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While I like where this is going, there is one group not accounted for in your plan – the employees of the gun manufacturers. If the gun companies are paid not to make guns, they will have no need for the people they employ (in excess of 10,000 as of 2011), plus however many are employed in supporting industries. What would you propose for them?
This whole idea just came spontaneously to me this morning, but I expect the ex-employees would get a share of that $22 billion the government pays the industry every year for doing nothing. Like a pension. I certainly wouldn’t mind that.
I suspect that would have to be written into the proposal, as I doubt the gun manufacturers would voluntarily give any of that money to their workers. Still, it could work.
Don’t forget the invasion deterrent – armed American citizens make up the largest army in the world
That’s part of the beauty of this plan, no one has to sell their guns. Hardcore gun owners like you could sell half your cache, make a bundle, and still own more guns than you could shoot with two hands. 🙂
You are making the assumption that the government somehow has our best interests at stake. They don’t!
True dat, Jeff. A lot of people think the 2nd amendment has to do with hunting – it’s all about not trusting the Govenment
Seems home crime would increase as criminals would be now encouraged to break into more houses to retrieve arms, putting more families and children in danger. Guns would become worth more than gold.
Thus the STIFF penalty for unregistered weapons. The criminals wouldn’t be able to sell them—not even to the government after the amnesty period.
What about the people (terrorists) who have no profit motive and are actually prepared to die when they use guns? How will this deter them?
Sorry Joseph, but that’s irrelevant. Guns have no deterrent effect on anyone who lives as a Soul or who are ready to die, both apply to many terrorists today.