How to tell if you're serious about gun-control

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

Go to a mall on a weekend, bring a clipboard, notepad, pen and red crayon; ask everyone who's willing to listen and answer two questions:

#1 Are you for or against common-sense gun controls?
(Record all the yes answers, no names just a remark or check-mark.)

#2 Please define common-sense gun controls.
(Record all the answers with some detail about what each person thinks.)

Record all the actual responses to #1 on a single page. If anyone answers 'no', assure them that you don't mean more gun-control, you just mean in total only the gun-control which they consider to be common-sense.

Record each response to question #2 on a single page. Make sure you have prepared ahead a number of the popular gun-control measures including:
* BGCs as they currently exist
* an option to eliminate some aspects of current BGCs
* an option to add some aspects to current BGCs
* universal BGCs
* mandatory prison for crimes committed with a gun
* registration for anything that fires a bullet .22 cal or larger
* registration but only for handguns
* bans on new handgun sales
* bans on all handguns
* bans on all guns
* bans on "assault weapons"
* ban semi-autos
* (for good measure) bans on Republican VPs who shoot their "friends"
* safe storage containers for all household weapons
* mandatory periodic mental health screenings for all gun owners
* restricting folks who are on the terror watch list, no-fly list, some other arbitrary government list...
* gun-crime insurance for all gun owners
* high taxes on guns
* high taxes on ammo
* limits on number of guns you can own
* limits on number bullets you can own
* limit on number of guns you can buy per year/quarter/month
* mag size limits- single shot/5/7/10/12/15/30/... some other number
* leave things as they are
>> Have a space for some write-ins by respondents.

If you're ejected by mall security, arrested by police for being a commie or approached by folks with pitchforks, torches and/or guns you need to pick a mall that isn't in Wasilla, Alaska, Kennesaw, Georgia, Pahrump, Nevada...

Later at home, analyze the responses to question #2.
Cross out any write-ins for items covered in your check list.
Find all of the substantially identical control measures most common on the responses to question #2.
These should appear on 75% of all your #2 pages. Eliminate those which are missing anything on this list of most commonly agreed measures. Eliminate those that contain things in addition to this list of most commonly agreed measures.
Count the remaining pages. Divide that number by the number of yes answers to question #1.
If the answer is great than 0.6, you may have proven something. Take you results to your state or federal representative.

If the answer is less than 0.6, use the red crayon to write "bullshit" on the whole thing and keep posting things here like f*** the NRA.

Be seeing you.

[DonP]

1. Or just ask ....

Just ask if they have ever done anything "offline" to support gun control?

Any dues paying memberships to gun control organizations? (Hitting "Like" on Facebook doesn't count)

Which gun control organizations have they sent checks to in 2015? (There's a whole mailing list in Castle Bansalot)

How many days of vacation have they used to meet with legislators or march in protests in their state capitol or DC?

Which legislators have the met with to talk about repealing concealed or open carry and how often?

What have they done in their state to get Universal Background Checks?

Have they started circulating petitions to repeal concealed carry, the 2nd amendment or anything gun control related?

Count up the town hall or zoning board meetings they have gone to to speak out about a new shooting range or gun store?

It seems the louder and more obnoxious they are on DU, the less they do in the real world.

Much easier to post "FUCK THE NRA" a few times a year than actually do anything like write a check out of your own pocket or take a few days to support your "deeply held beliefs".

[GGJohn]

2. It's my belief that most of the pro controllers here are nothing more than

Keyboard Kommandos who would rather rant and rave online than do any real work in the real world.
I guess it's easier to sit behind a keyboard and shout ourt FUCK THE NRA that to get down and dirty IRL.

[friendly_iconoclast]

3. +1. Excellent questions, and I am shamelessly going to pilfer them for an OP (with due credit)

[DonP]

5. Bet you a dime that somebody says; "NRA Talking Points"

Anything that embarrasses them or points out their hypocrisy must be either, "NRA talking points" or "Reich Wing Crap".

[TeddyR]

4. The gun control movement is largely a joke

Funded by a Republican. Gun control laws continue to become more permissive, as do Americans' attitudes toward guns. Laws restricting gun ownership that actually pass are ignored (SAFE in NY) or have zero impact on gun violence (whatever nonsense O'Malley passed in Maryland). Gun ownership is becoming more prevalent and murder rates continue to decrease. Murders are on the rise in places like Chicago, DC and Baltimore, which place massive restrictions on the right of law abiding citizens to keep and bear arms. But that basic fact is ignored by the controllers.