Why gun licensing works

Within hours of the State of the Union address last week, President Clinton’s call to license firearm owners was attracting all manner of criticism. Among the most common: that licensing is unconstitutional and impractical; that it is prelude to gun registration and an eventual ban on gun ownership; that it won’t deter criminals.

Criticism aside for a moment, the idea has merit. Gun owners are responsible for almost as many deaths annually as motorists, and they cause more harm in a day than our 195,000 licensed barbers cause in a decade. In that light, asking would-be gun owners to submit to a background check and demonstrate basic safety skills before getting an ID-style license doesn’t seem very radical.

Indeed, when it comes to gun licenses, the soundness of the concept is demonstrated by the feebleness of the opposing critique. Consider the roster of complaints.

* The Constitution. The Second Amendment begins ”A well-regulated . . . .” That’s exactly what today’s gun owners are not. Licensing would change that, helping ensure that gun owners know how to keep and handle weapons safely, and providing a way to backcheck gun ownership against such disqualifying traits as felony convictions.

* The system. Critics say licensing would be impossibly expensive and complicated. Yet just such a system is already functioning quite nicely for the nation’s 185 million motorists, at no real burden to them. Why would licensing 80 million gun owners be different?

* The slippery slope. Why worry that someday the nation’s 200 million guns might be registered like its 130 million cars? Gun advocates say the best way to fight gun-related crime is with better law enforcement. Being able to track individual weapons would be a huge step toward that end. As to a ban: With so many weapons in circulation, the odds are nil.

* The public good. The most obnoxious argument against licensing is that it won’t stop criminals. There are many reasons to think that licenses would deter some, as do gun-purchase background checks and waiting periods, which have prevented hundreds of thousands of improper gun sales. Mandatory safety classes could help weed out emotionally unsuitable applicants. Licenses would make it easier for dealers to know that customers are legitimate.

But this isn’t solely about crime anyway. Most firearm-related deaths are either accidents or suicides. Making sure gun owners know how to use and store their weapons safely may not deter criminals from leaving their pistols on the coffee table with the safety off, but it might discourage Uncle George.

Odds are long against Congress agreeing this year on anything as hot as licensing gun owners. But the sooner the debate comes down to earth, the sooner it will move forward in some meaningful way. No doubt that’s why the gun lobby refuses to get real.OUR VIEW Gun violence If it will slow gun deaths — accidental or deliberate — why not?

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