I am neither for nor opposed to guns: However, having been an engineer for almost 40 years, I am about solutions. While I think gun registration with background checks has a place in the solution to accidental individual shootings and horrific mass shootings, I believe more can and should be done.
Why can’t guns be made safer? Why not develop guns with the following additional safety features?
- Electronic firing mechanisms: Remington’s Model 700 EtronX rifle is already on the market and has received rave reviews.
- To enhance the electronic firing mechanism, add a way to enter an electronic password or, better yet, a biometric reader on the trigger. A biometric reader would mean only the registered owner could fire the weapon. No more accidental discharges. No more discharges if the weapon is stolen.
- A GPS tracking system like iPhones, so you can locate the gun via the Internet if the gun is lost or stolen.
- A system whereby the gun could be shut down. Transmitters in schools or public buildings would automatically make the gun inoperable. The gun would still fire any other place.
- Ammunition with electronic chips programmed to match a single gun. Stolen ammunition would be worthless.
- A tamper-resistant feature: Any attempt to tamper with the weapon’s electronics would permanently shut the gun down.
Would doing these things stop all accidental shootings or deliberate murders? Probably not. However, they would stop a child from accidentally shooting a gun. They would stop a mentally ill person from walking into a school and shooting innocent people.
— JOHN KRISHACK
Shalimar