We tend to think of compromise in terms like these:
* On item A, you want 50% and I want 70%, we compromise at 60%
* On item B, you want $10 billion and I want $15 billion, we compromise at $12 billion.
* On item C, you want these 7 items banned and I want 4 of them banned, we compromise at 5 items.
* etc.
This basically ensures that everything happens half-ass.
What about compromise in terms like these:
* On item A, you want 50% and I want 70%, we compromise and I get this one at 70%
* On item B, you want $10 billion and I want $15 billion, we compromise and you get this one at $10 billion.
* On item C, you want these 7 items banned and I want 4 of them banned, we compromise and I get my 4 items.
* etc.
This basically ensures that a full fair try is accorded to at least some remedies.
With the above in mind, I think about guns.
1) The NRA can list who they think shouldn't get guns. That's our list; everyone else gets an unquestioned right to carry.
2) Whatever circumstances the NRA thinks gunowners should have - concealed carry, open carry, churches, gov't buildings, whatever - they get (of course, private property is governed by the property owner).
3) The gun lobby gets to close all the loopholes on the registration of gun purchases; that gun show loophole is gone. Every gun that's purchase/gifted/traded is recorded as to who gave what gun to who.
4) Everyone who receives a gun (if the gun lobby wants this) must also receive mandatory firearm training beforehand or shortly afterwards. This can be such that a small percentage (cannot be >5%?) fail and will become ineligible to own a gun until they do pass the mandatory training.
5) The gun lobby gets to set whatever rules it wants on traceable ammunition, serial numbering of guns (with penalities - including loss of gun rights - for having non-compliant weapons), whatever might assist law enforcement after a crime.
6) And perhaps a traditional halfway compromise is appropriate that would ban assult weapons and armor piercing bullets; no grandfathering of what's already out there - a mandatory gun purchase program for newly illegal munitions.
7) Of course stiff penalties for violations of any of the above.
Of course this leaves untouched the whole mental health aspect. At this point, I don't know enough about that topic to offer anything useful.
