A free market solution to the problem of gun violence

[Trekologer]

Gun advocates like to say that guns don't kill people. I suppose that is technically true; guns by themselves don't kill people. But guns are used by people to kill other people. Here's a free market solution that no Republican could argue with: require owners of guns to purchase liability insurance policies for any injury caused by the gun.

The invisible hand of the free market would reduce gun violence. Insurance companies don't like to pay out claims so they will be reluctant to sell policies to the type of mentally imbalanced individuals who might be more likely to commit gun violence, and price them accordingly. The insurance companies would also be careful to check the backgrounds of those who seek the gun insurance, require owners to keep the guns secure, and ensure that guns aren't in households with imbalanced individuals. Those who shouldn't be in the possession of guns would simply be priced out of it.

[derby378]

1. As I mentioned earlier...

...as long as gun ownership is a right, it is not subject to any sort of permit or license, let alone underwriting by a for-profit insurance company.

Someone did mention turning the insurance requirement into some sort of flat fee. I don't know if that would pass Constitutional muster, either, but it would at least be more egalitarian than insurance.

[Trekologer]

2. Insurance for the bullets, perhaps?

[geckosfeet]

3. On the other hand, it might encourage recklessness.

Criminals are unlikely to comply with this "free market" solution. The insane are unlikely to comply with this "free market" solution. And what are you insuring? The gun or the person?

I would suggest that if your gun is used in any criminal act because you were negligent in it's storage or were otherwise negligent in securing it from unauthorized use, you be held legally liable. Period.