In the midst of all the noise about what do with the country’s gun problem one group always seems to slip by without worry or wear: the gun manufactures. I don’t get it. Why do We the People not demand technological regulations that would require manufacturers to build smarter and safer guns?
Guns that can only be fired by the registered owner are not a new idea. A few summers ago, the public had its first major exposure to this idea when a smart gun popped up in Skyfall. What many people might not know is that the technology featured in Skyfall, and Dredd, and Shoot ‘Em Up is far from science fiction. It is very real.
This type of technology is obviously in its very early stages. At the moment, it would not have stopped a mass shooting like what happened at Virginia Tech where the shooter was the registered owner. However, it would have stopped the shooting in Newtown and many others.
The nation is quick to call for a ban on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines, but no one is clamoring for guns that can’t fire in school zones. No one asks for a gun that can’t fire in an office building, or a housing project, or a nursing home. That world is possible, but it’ll never happen if no one demands smarter guns.
I’m kind of flabbergasted that the Wikipedia page about smart guns is so bare. It’s a testament to the grip gun rights advocates have over the discussion.
I know new technology isn’t always the proper remedy, but we’ve already seen what innovation and regulation did for safety in the auto industry. These days we don’t just expect cars to take us where we have to go, we expect them to do it safely. That didn’t happen by accident. A lot of very smart people spent a very long time making it that way.
I think part of the problem is that no one is asking the right question. Instead of asking, “How can new laws fix our gun problem?” we should be asking: Can we invent a gun that only shoots inanimate objects, animals, and bad people?
The answer is yes. But we have to try. We don’t lack the technology. We do lack the will.
If a gun could tell the difference between a human being and a paper target, you would eliminate accidental shootings entirely. If the same gun could only fire in designated zones (your home, a shooting range, your business) you could satisfy all those gun owners who say they own guns for protection and prevent mass shootings at the same time. If that same gun could distinguish between a four-legged animal in the woods and a small child riding in a car on the highway, you would save lives and still enable hunters to enjoy a fulfilling pastime. If a police officer had more non-lethal options available via their firearm, you could make meaningful headway on the number of accidental and unnecessary deaths of unarmed civilians. One of the wonderful things about technology is how you can design complex systems that serve multiple needs, and no industry has multiple needs like the gun industry.
If there has ever been a time to push for the development of smart guns, it’s now. Ghost guns are already here. 3D printing has made it easier than ever to produce your own untraceable gun. The gun industry has to catch up and smart guns are the only way forward.
Is it important that we address ineffective gun laws and mental health? Of course. This problem is going to take multiple fixes in multiple areas. One of those areas is the product itself. History has taught us it is much easier to change a product than to change human behavior. There can be a future where guns serve the needs of gun owners and protect the unarmed and innocent. It is a future we can invent, but we have to want it first.