So this business writer didn't like the way the gun control vote went last week. He lamented that 92% of the people wanted things passed...blah, blah, blah. He stated that he doesn't like to wait around for solutions and is impatient, so he came up with an idea based on what he claims to know a lot about...credit scores. He puts forth the ridiculous idea that the same could be done for gun ownership in this country. At the end, he does state that credit is not guaranteed in the Bill of Rights and posits that rather than doing something so intrusive, we should just pass more restrictive laws / background checks instead....
A sufficiently large minority of the U.S. Senate demonstrated their Orwellian allegiance to the gun lobby last week — or their fear of it — by blocking several commonsense measures that would have expanded background checks for gun buyers while imposing a ban on both assault-style rifles and high-capacity gun magazines. The knee-jerk “no” votes were so pervasive that a law imposing stricter penalties on gun traffickers (supported by the National Rifle Association) even got the ax
My thought or flight of fancy: Maybe we should create a risk assessment tool for gun worthiness. In all seriousness, shouldn’t all Americans — especially those who manufacture and sell guns — welcome the prospect of better predictability given the news of late?
Now before we go any further, I have to say that were this idea to take root, the NRA might find itself lobbying for expanded background checks.
What might it include for would-be gun owners?
1.Criminal record (35%)
2.Mental illness (30%)
3.Credit score/employment history (15%)
4.Purpose of gun ownership (10%)
5.Number of guns owned (10%)
He breaks down the above components with more discriminating questions:
we need to expand the list of criteria. How about this?
1.Criminal/safety record: Have you been arrested and/or charged with a crime or misdemeanor? Were you convicted? Are there any outstanding warrants for your arrest? Have you ever injured yourself, or another, with a gun or gun-related product? (35%)
2.Mental illness: What sort and when? Do you have a chronic or terminal illness? Were you abused or bullied? Have you ever seen a psychotherapist or been prescribed an antidepressant or antipsychotic? Have you ever been required to see a professional or to attend classes specifically to deal with anger management? Have you ever expressed on a video, or in writing, a desire to kill someone or espoused racial intolerance? (30%)
3.What is your employment record and credit score? Have you filed for bankruptcy? Have you had medical debts sent to collection agencies? Do you have a history of late payments to utilities (including cellphones), or broken contracts? (15%)
4.Do you already own guns? For what purpose did you buy them? (10%)
5.How many guns do you own? (10%)
Link to fantasy:
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/gun-score ... 32260.html
