Re:Bruce Schneier: Drawing the wrong lessons from horrific e...
by asmithmd1 on Wednesday August 01, 2012 @09:53AM
(#4322815)
One great thing about the US is that states can act like laboratories for testing different laws. Massachusetts has some of the toughest gun laws requiring someone to obtain a gun permit before they can own a gun.
Massachusetts also is second only to Hawaii in the lowest firearm death rate:
The firearm death rate in MA is 1/5 - 1/6 the rate of high death rate states.
I looked into what it takes to get a gun permit in MA and was surprised by how common sense it is. As long as you have a record of no violent felonies and no current restraining orders you must take a gun safety course. Then you need to submit a signed statement to the chief of police in your town from two adults saying you are an upstanding person. This way the police know who has a gun and they are probably best able to judge if you should have a gun.
Massachusetts also is second only to Hawaii in the lowest firearm death rate:
http://www.statemaster.com/graph/cri_mur_wit_fir-death-rate-...
The firearm death rate in MA is 1/5 - 1/6 the rate of high death rate states.
I looked into what it takes to get a gun permit in MA and was surprised by how common sense it is. As long as you have a record of no violent felonies and no current restraining orders you must take a gun safety course. Then you need to submit a signed statement to the chief of police in your town from two adults saying you are an upstanding person. This way the police know who has a gun and they are probably best able to judge if you should have a gun.