From Serbia, with Love: Get Rid of Unregistered Guns

   From Serbia, with love, comes a message for America: Get rid of all illegal guns.

   In America, we've always had the idea that if guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. But, perhaps that isn't the case.

   In Serbia, despite having more registered guns than any other country in Europe, they had not had a mass murder in 10 years, when a war veteran had killed 13 people. Then, this past week, they had back-to-back shootings -- one on Wednesday claiming 9 lives, and then another on Thursday claiming 8 more lives.

   The hammer of justice was quick to come down. Authorities ordered all unregistered guns to be turned in. No one will be prosecuted for having the gun if they turn it in now. But if they don't, and if they are found later to have a gun? Yes, they will be prosecuted, and prosecuted hard.

   Here is something that perhaps has been overlooked in the If-guns-are-outlawed-only-outlaws-will-have-guns discussion: If a criminal has an unregistered gun, you can arrest him and toss him in jail. Yes, they might have ways of getting guns even if they are illegal, but now they can be tossed in jail if they do.

 If you are fearful of a criminal living next door with a gun, you can tip off the police, and they can come take it away.  

 The only-criminals-will-have-guns argument is beginning to sink. We are taking the guns away from criminals and leaving them with the law-abiders.