End this madness now!!!

I know this will not make very popular with some of my friends. I do not know the legal foundations for what I am going to propose, but remember when lawyers and the Justice Department went after the tobacco industry with an unparalleled fury, putting a virtual stranglehold on them?

Tobacco products have carried a variety of warning labels such as "this product may be harmful to your health." At other times, the warning included "Tobacco is addictive." If these two warnings do not apply to guns, I do not know what does.

I think it is time to launch a similar-minded campaign against gun dealers, gun shows, gun makers, and reckless gun owners--those who sell a gun to someone who cannot pass a background check with all of the same ramifications and tactics.

For every crime involving a gun where ever 'i' was not dotted and every 't' left uncrossed, for every murder committed, for every assault committed, e-v-e-r-y single crime where strict guidelines cannot be met, it is time to slap these people down with the largest judicial monetary fine and jail sentence possible! Treat them as an accessory to the crime!

If a teen commits a crime using his or her parents' guns, not only are the teens responsible, but hold the parents in contempt too. 

I am not talking about piddly pocket change, but judicial judgments amounting to millions and millions of dollars... and strict sentences too.

If a crime is committed with a gun that does not pass legal must, the dealers, the makers and whoever else was involved, it is time to hit the pocketbooks of those who are too careless, too greedy, to uncaring, and yes, too stupid and put an end to this madness.

I have said this before, I have no problem with a responsible, sane person owning a handgun or hunting rifle that can be used for their personal protection, BUT assault rifles and high-capacity magazine clips have no business being in the hands of anyone other than police officers and those serving in the military.

You can spout your glib NRA talking points all you want. "Guns don't kill people do" or "take the guns away and only criminals will have them," and the banal "cars kill people, are we going to ban them too?

A gun is not a car, and yes. Guns do kill. People use them every day to do so. Every time we debate this issue, it is kicked down the road and more innocent people die.

This argument must stand on its own merits.