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this post was submitted on 29 May 2026
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On that note - I know California gets a lot of deserved flak for its gun laws, but do you think the mandatory training and safety certification before purchase is a good idea for more states to adopt? (After you complete the training you get a renewable 5 year license to buy guns within)
Sounds great, but the class must be free and succinct.
I think it's a good idea in a stable society. This will be a hot take so please judge my ideas freely, but personally, I think gun laws only mask the fact that the American people and the American system are broken.
Instead of fixing the problems with America, the Democrats point at the guns. Instead of fixing the problems, Republicans blame the fact that we have turned against God or some nebulous spectre of communism that still haunts them decades later. Training laws would probably work in a country that has legitimacy, rule of law, some degree of social cohesion, and an economic safety net. The police in America aren't even legally required to protect you.
Any politician who wants a hope of steering America to safer seas needs to only focus on 80/20 issues where almost everyone agrees and steer clear of anything divisive until the common sense fixes are done. My neighbors in Colorado will Vote for 420 different progressive causes, but the Democrat/Republican split isn't representative of our opinions. Every year we fight the same battles instead of looking for the common ground that might help people want to shoot each other less and help those who do get help faster and with much less friction.
I generally agree with the principle of what you're saying in a philosophical sense. However, there are also some empirical truths to contend with. People typically don't like radical change, people are prone to impulsive errors in judgement ('system 1 thinking'), an impulsive mistake with guns has far greater implications than an impulsive mistake without guns. So while yes there is a big cultural change that needs to happen, in practice you have to make small changes that marginally lead society towards a better culture.
There is no training required to buy guns in CA. You have to get a firearm safety certificate (FSC), which requires passing a multiple choice test, but no training. I haven't seen this test myself (I'm not a gun person) but I've heard it described as basically trivial, that anyone with some common sense could pass it with no study whatsoever. That sounds much easier than the multiple choice test for a drivers license, which millions of people have passed with no formal training. It does (for real) require some study, but you read the DMV drivers' license booklet, take a few online practice tests, get mom or dad or another driver to explain anything that confuses you, and take the test multiple times if you don't pass on the first try.
Training (16 hours of professional instruction iirc) is required to get a concealed carry permit in my county, but that's a different level than just buying guns. I think other counties just give you the permit if you don't have obvious issues preventing them.
Ah. When I was reading it on calgov it seemed like it would be more in depth. I guess it does make more sense for a CCW since a person will be carrying it on their person more often.
I do want to train and learn best practices if/when I own a gun though. Don't want to be "that guy" when out hunting or at a range.
You've been to California?
California isn't real dude. It's an illusion The Man made up to have us think school might be fun and that your cool musician uncle would have a full head of hair, sold to us by shysters like Danny House and Zache Gosselaar-Bel.
I live here lol
Why are the gun laws bad here? Because they're so often ignored? :(