California is about to tax guns more like alcohol and tobacco − and that could put a dent in gun violence

You don’t need no gun control, you know what you need? We need some bullet control. Men, we need to control the bullets, that’s right. I think all bullets should cost five thousand dollars… five thousand dollars per bullet… You know why? Cause if a bullet cost five thousand dollars there would be no more innocent bystanders.
Yeah! Every time somebody get shot we’d say, ‘Damn, he must have done something ... Shit, he’s got fifty thousand dollars worth of bullets in his ass.’
And people would think before they killed somebody if a bullet cost five thousand dollars. ‘Man I would blow your fucking head off…if I could afford it.’ ‘I’m gonna get me another job, I’m going to start saving some money, and you’re a dead man. You’d better hope I can’t get no bullets on layaway.’
So even if you get shot by a stray bullet, you wouldn't have to go to no doctor to get it taken out. Whoever shot you would take their bullet back, like "I believe you got my property."

― Chris Rock

Lovely another way to penalise the poor

Under no pretext should arms and ammunition be surrendered; any attempt to disarm the workers must be frustrated, by force if necessary

Karl Marx

Pretty sure the guns i see the criminals use aren't even legal. Crazy extended mags

I've been saying for years this was going to be what happens, instead of common sense gun laws they are just going to tax the shit out of it. Which sucks for law abiding responsible gun owners who just want to hunt or defend themselves. This is what happens when one side refuses to come to the negotiating table.

Illinois has some fairly strict gun laws... which is why so many guns used in crimes there come from all the states surrounding it. So I ask... do Arizona, Utah, and Nevada have these taxes as well?

I'm not against gun control, but it seems to me that a state level fix ain't it.

Tax it higher than alcohol & tobacco.

Yes most crime is committed with legally aquires firearms

Criminals already have more than enough cash to buy plenty of guns at ridiculously high prices. This is only punishing people that follow the law.

Not like most guns used in crimes are stolen or sold illegally after being purchased legally and the actual causes of gun deaths aren't related to how much guns cost.

Surely my home state isn't just trying to grandstand and figure out new revenue streams to find to not fund poor performing schools to improve performance or prospects, providing healthcare, addressing poor police training, helping the homeless, addressing working poverty, addressing high cost of living, improving job prospects with a living wages, or any of the other issues that will actually help to address gun deaths.

Like it did to alcohol and tobacco use?

The people shooting people will not be paying these taxes. Another law that punishes law abiding citizens.

I don't understand how anything related to firearms can be legally taxed in the USA — their taxation can certainly be viewed as an infringement on one's right to bear arms.

That's just going to make it harder for people that follow laws.

Criminals love paying taxes

I doubt it. Look at Illinois, they'll just straw buy shit from neighboring states.

Murder is already illegal lol

Issue is gonna be with stolen guns and ammo also it’s not far to get to the Nevada border if people wanna stock up

and that could put a dent in gun violence

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

'States rights', right Republicans?

Looking from country that is 4 kilometers to the west of USSA, it seems to me that such big amount of violence is caused by deep social problem, not just guns. Especially when compared to another country with relatively avaliable guns - Ukraine, where almost all violence comes from Shoigu.

It's like watching two school students closed in one room for many years, and the only way to get food it to beat others. With society forcefully cut in half. With two right-wing parties, where "conservatives"' agenda is destruction of most conservative institute - education, and "left" one is more right-wing than literal Union of Right Forces.

this might be an interesting solution for the really wacky shit?

Though you would need to do it on a more federal level.

Damn, the NRA is going to be fucking confused by this one. "No guns for the poors" is kinda their whole thing (@see the black panthers) - but poor white people are the majority of their support block. At the same time guns becoming unaffordable to "scary urbanites" will have the full approval of scared suburbanites.

This might honestly be the most politically savvy approach to gun control I've ever seen - it'll drive a wedge between the 2a voting crowd and the 2a funding crowd.

I really doubt it. I mean, I'm all for realistic and effective gun control, but this isn't it.

(and that's not a perfection being the enemy of good statement)

Maybe if they were taxed per use…

(Not a serious suggestion :P)