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This answer may contain sensitive images. Click on an image to unblur it.Can I get a pro-gun conservative's sincere views on how to stop school shootings in the US? Can it really be done without introducing strict gun laws?ObjectiveYou are asking a policy question that unfortunately does not boil down to a short answer. Solving school shootings has nothing to do with being liberal, conservative, libertarian, left, right, or whatever political flavor you want to focus on. If the goal is to stop school shootings, the answer is not particularly difficult, practically speaking. If political posturing is added, well the stated objective can become as impossible as an opposition wants it to be. Is the goal to end school shootings or is it to get rid of guns? The two are not the same.Stopping mass shootings is too narrow a goal. Why not stop school killings? This word choice, shootings rather than killings, is a semantics game. The mechanism of killing becomes the object of focus rather than the cause—the underlying social factors. When we say mass shootings we are giving more weight to someone killed by a gun verses someone else who is killed by any number of other devices. Yet, the dead are equally dead. Not all mass killings are shootings. Some attackers use multiple weapons—improvised pipe bombs, cars, knives, pistols, shot guns, rifles of various types, and commercially made explosives. The principle weapons of the Columbine attack were pipe-bombs and shotguns—over 100 explosive devices were used. The deadliest school attack in the US involved dynamite, not firearms[i].If we are going to put forth effort to stop school shootings, we might as well go through the effort to stop school killings. The effort is not significantly different, either requiring a layered approach.I identify 12 steps. Some local and some focused on society at large. Approaching this effort by breaking down actions taken by the school and local community and those actions taken by the larger society allows action to be taken at several levels of society. Breaking down the steps taken to reduce mass killings into a layered process also allows a flexibility avoiding a monolithic effort capable of being slowed or stopped by making one step dependent on another. The first steps are local. They are carried out by the community at the school. These are hard-nosed practical steps. Other actions take place at the larger social level, targeting school killings and broader social trends that contribute to a culture of violence. The school and local level is easier to control or influence. Change is more personal being felt most directly. The more change moves beyond the local the more time and effort such change takes. The steps I layout are not dependent on another step to be carried out. Although, when taken together, they are mutually supporting.No one course of action will stop school killings. Yet, implementing any one or any number of these acts will bring improvement. Some will have more positive impact than others. Long term steps aimed at targeted socio-economic change will take time, but will have the greatest impact. Some steps are immediate and can be enacted more easily but generally they focus on limiting an attacker’s ability to inflict harm. These 12 steps, should be used jointly for maximum effect.If the solution in your mind comes down to, stopping school shootings requires a gun ban, you have made a link—curtailing school killings has a prerequisite, banning guns. This drives the discussion in one direction. Gun bans precede other action. This stops progress we can make now. It omits actions immediately available and side-steps many causal issues without direct association to firearms. If the objective is stopping mass shootings (or mass killings) don’t limit the method by first myopically focusing on the tools used to commit the violent act rather than the context that facilitates the act.ContextThe hype that follows any type of mass killing but especially shootings generally undermines situational awareness. I have yet to see an assessment of: the attacker(s), the space the attack takes place in, and the make-up and posture of the defenders or targets of the attack. A lot of coverage is passed off as analysis that is not more than leveraging grief and spectacle.Or, we dismiss the attacker as impenetrablely crazy and leave assesment at that.We do a great disservice to the discussion when we begin with, the attacker is crazy; there is nothing we can you do about crazy?This is simplistic thinking. The attackers might be crazy. Often, school attackers have diagnosed mental health issues that bear out the assertion. Many times, the mental health issues are well known before the attacker acts. There are clear benefits to understanding the contributing effect of mind-altering drugs on all mass killings at school or elsewhere. This is especially true when considering long-term consequences beyond school killings to larger, far more deadly, social concerns like suicide. Suicidal ideations are one of the tell-tale red flags. This correlation should be explored; there are potential life-saving lessons to be gleaned from such studies.Nevertheless, despite the merit of understanding mental illness and its role in school attacks, focusing on the impact of drugs up-front side-steps an immediate clear-minded assessment of the attacker's actions subsequent to their motivation. The discourse goes something like this.Person in state of confusion or shock: Why would anyone do this?Answer: They are crazy. Whoever attacks innocent people is crazy. Full stop. No need to explore further. There is no explaining crazy.This answer is an excuse. Really, it is lazy. There is a great deal to be learned from understanding the attacker's actions in the now of the attack that helps us reach our goal. Principally, that there is a predicable rationality to almost all school attacks or attacks on any public place people gather in.Crazy or not, under the influence of mind altering drugs or not, school attackers are making very rational assessments about their objective and how to reach their objective. School attackers are thinking, evaluating, then picking targets based on desired outcome. And, so far, the outcome matches desire. The actions of school attackers are rational within the context of their objective. The objective might be crazy. The approach to the objective is not. When professionals tell you, there is no way to predict where a nihilistic, narcissist, seeking notoriety might attack, they are being intellectually dishonest.Ask yourself, where do most non-military mass killings take place? Locations that are:1. Public.2. High visibility.3. Easily accessibility—the areas have multiple entrances and exits and limited security or no security (security does not mean a fortress).4. Greatest shock value—Locations are selected to elicit emotional response and maximum media coverage.5. Familiarity—attackers pick areas they know usually better than law enforcement knows them.This is not target selection of truly crazy people. This is rational decision making following a perceived need to act out. This does not justify the decision or negate the fundamental truth that attackers preying on defenseless people is anything other than sociopathic or psychopathic. However, the attacker comes to the decision to attack defenseless members of their own community, execution of the decision is far from crazy. In most cases, maximum damage is limited by lack of experience in executing their plan, not by the location and lack of planning. Many people are repulsed by the idea that perpetrators of mass killings might be rational. Basic rationality at the level of execution is a good thing though. Rational acts are predictable even if the justification behind them is not sane.Targeted locations are not military targets. Attacks in public places, (schools or similar locations), are generally not carried out to shape public policy. These are not terrorist targets designed to shape political, economic outcomes as an act of asymmetric warfare. Perhaps there is commonality with acts of terrorism at the execution level, but the motivation is different. It should be noted though that many of the steps taken to reduce school attacks will decrease the possibility of attacks carried out for other reasons as well.School attackers are after social targets first and foremost. Attackers are narcissistic, often nihilistic, individuals who want attention. Notoriety and infamy are confused with more positive forms of attention, acceptance, and respect. If life is truly nihilistic, the difference between infamy and fame is trivial. The value of one life over another life, is of little distinction. Often the attackers want respect from the community the they feel denied them respect and, given the self-focus and nihilism, they have no problem elevating their response past more conventional, healthy, measured methods used to get attention. Usually, the attackers present many warning signs making their actions predictable as much as the location of such attacks is predictable.In their study published as, Mass Shootings and Mental Illness, James L. Knoll IV, M.D. George D. Annas, M.D., M.P.H. noted perpetrators of mass shootings shared, “a persecutory/paranoid outlook, narcissism, depression, suicidality, and a perception of being socially rejected.” My speculation is many perpetrators of mass killing where the means of killing is something other than a firearm ought to follow similar psychological trends. The same article noted of the perpetrators who survive, “Most perpetrators acknowledged being influenced by previous mass killers who received significant media exposure… Since the 1990s, mass murders, and especially mass shootings, have arguably taken on a different quality, influenced by a cultural shift, social media, and expansive news coverage of the tragedies.” This is proving to be such the case that the authors note there is a cultural shift taking place where, through media, we are creating a “script” for such events. We are normalizing it.The attackers want attention and lots of it. They want spectacle. They want to be remembered.The combination of rationality tied to unhealthy motivation, hyper self-focus, and the urgent desire for notoriety, define what should be the immediate response to this threat.Initial steps taken to limit the effectiveness of an attack are primarily tactical responses to a threat. Some steps have both a tactical and a larger strategic impact e.g. step one below. Following step one, subsequent steps take place at the local level, then shift to broader social considerations that should be addressed to reduce mass killings. These tactical responses are not specific to any one school.Step 1: Deny the SpectacleDon't plaster, name and face of the attacker all over media platforms. The method of news coverage adds to the chaos initially after an attack, rather than diminishing it. This increases the spectacle. Details can still be discussed without elevating the attacker’s profile and without compromising information and public awareness. But, the public speculation, 24/7 publicity of 'crazy' is what the attackers want; it increases emotion, generally without honestly assessing the situation. Feeding emotion gets ratings, not reasoned results. Feeding emotion, feeds ego but leads to poor policy. Each attack elevates the spectacle and feeds the next attack. The greater attention on crazy acts we provide lifts the spectacle level and normalizes crazy actions—it draws the next attackers in. More importantly, as detail of the homicidal act is dissected without context, it teaches other attackers without providing social framework that reduces future attacks. We don’t really discuss the motivation and larger causes that shape the social context that drove attackers the same way we focus on the method. That is a mistake of emphasis.The conversation is reduced to, “You can’t stop crazy. Don’t take my gun. Don’t punish me for the crazy man’s actions. The Constitution.” Or “Guns. Scary guns. Arrogant pigs hand-over your phallic guns! Ignorant red neck. Well, gun owners want to see kids killed.” Meanwhile, we create spectacle, the very spectacle the attacker wanted and that hypnotizes the next attacker into a dead-end act of horror. The way the discussion is framed just adds to the spectacle of chaos and destruction.The sound-bite news media is the worst medium imaginable for bringing social awareness to such tragedy. Quit flashing pictures and names of the attackers. Giving them more fame than the victims is bad practice.Step 2: Shape Areas to Your Advantage / Protect YourselfWhy are attackers so successful, within a short time period? Department of Homeland Security research reveals that the average duration of an active shooter incident at a school is 12.5 minutes. In contrast, the average response time for law enforcement is 18 minutes.[ii]Attackers have two things on their side by virtue of being attackers—time and initiative. The time between the attack beginning and the attacker resisting (or committing suicide) belongs to the attacker. Keep in mind most attackers pick targets they are familiar with. Usually, they are more familiar with the area where they carry out the attack than the police or medical responders.I refrain from calling police or medical responders, first responders. First, that is an impossibly inaccurate label. The targets of the attack, school officials and students are the first responders, no matter how they choose to respond. This is true of any potential target of an attack. How the real first responders take responsibility for their own lives means everything. This leads to the second reason calling police and medical responders, first responders, is unhealthy in this situation. It creates a mindset that victims must wait for a response because the first responder is not them i.e. it is someone else who is responsible for their lives. The victims of an attack are always the first responders. The police and medical responders are clean-up even if they arrive in time to engage the attacker. Average response time for police to a school attack is more than 12 minutes. That is a long time to wait for help when you are being attacked by a knife, a pipe-bomb, or a shotgun, a pistol, or a rifle, or a bat, or a car.Denying an attacker, the time / initiative advantage, means understanding the space being attacked. What is the school designed to do? In the hundreds of schools, I've been in, most are not actually designed to protect students and teachers. That is a loaded statement. I understand. My assessment of the schools I have been in, is that they have policy and physical layout designed around accountability and limiting liability. That is not the same as safety. School administrators have plans for fire and things like tornadoes. In most cases, they also had action plans that sounded like they addressed even dire sounding ones like active attackers. They might have brevity codes they can use with urgency. Yet, by physical layout and school policy, in accordance with daily activity and conventional emergency scenarios, schools are typically designed to control students, not protect students. The layout and design of school buildings channels students and teachers into kill zones (commonly called classrooms, lunchrooms, and libraries) and provides avenues of approach leading to the kill zone (wide, empty hallways).Generally, this seems to come down to a lack of willingness to come to terms with what an actual attack entails, and then unwittingly, conceding initiative to an attacker. Prime example, most students and teachers huddle in the classrooms with no way out, but the single door to the classroom. This is a natural reaction. Walls protect us from wind and rains and define our space. We feel safe inside them. Truth be told though, never retreat to a cave with only one way in and out.The result, from the perspective of an attacker, despite the earnest desire of most people involved, is that most schools are physically and administratively set up to box teachers and students into kill zones with no escape. Solutions need not be drastic. Schools don't need to be fortresses. Fortress schools are a waste of time and money. That does not equate to complacency though. A fortress is designed to withstand assault and potentially support a proactive deterrent force. Students are not trained combatants armed for providing quick response with force. We also know despite many brave acts to the contrary, police and security may not defend the students or confront the attacker. Fundamentally, the need is to avoid conflict. Leave. Where conflict is unavoidable, shift the balance of power from the attacker to any number of first responders.There are a number of safe guards that can be incorporated or retrofitted into building design that increases safety and reduces attacker’s ability to achieve their goals. For the most part, these actions do not need to drastically change the appearance of the school.Schools that foster situational awareness and flexibility of escape are not difficult to create. As a matter of resources, we spend more on sports by far than would be needed for safeguards. Schools should be evaluated for ease of movement allowed by the building structure and the awareness students and teachers have for who moves through the school spaces. We need to give students and teachers a greater advantage. Rethink how we build schools. This does not necessitate new construction. Simple cost effective remodel will do.Basically, the layout of a school is set up to keep students controlled. As that was the singular goal for most designs, most classrooms have one way in and out. Student movement is channeled into primary hallways where people are concentrated together for short bursts of predictable of time (Usually announced by a broadcast chime or bell) then moved back into the control boxes where students sit in regimented formation i.e. rows of desks. The passageways are then empty and unimpeded. This is an ideal target rich environment for an attacker. Avenues of approach: are well defined and open, lead to target rich areas, and limit ability for targeted people to evade or escape. Picture, the proverbial fish in a barrel with a red carpet leading to the barrel. Even many campuses with open plans have disastrous choke points.Classrooms lacking alternate ways in and out are deathtraps. Retreat to a classroom with no way out drastically limits options. Classrooms should have two means of entry and exit. Rooms on exterior walls can exit to the outside via a door or suitable window. Interior rooms can link via doorways between classrooms, left shut except in response to emergencies, making rooms a chain allowing students and teachers to move in emergencies without giving away their position. This is good for fires and earthquakes too. Adding doors or windows capable of allowing quick emergency evacuation is not cost prohibitive.Step 3: Limit Initiative & Reduce the Time AdvantageA. Fix / Slow attackers—deny them free access. Entrances should have metal detectors, which will catch many weapons like pipe bombs and knives, as well as firearms. This restricts entrance of weapons. As important, interior spaces should be able to be isolated (locked down) so movement throughout the school is not possible by an attacker. This does not mean fortress doors. It means solid fire doors or gates that lock under specific circumstances. Reduce an attacker's time to act and the impact of first initiative. Doors, drop down gates, or sliding gates that section off areas of a facility are options. Secure fire doors with a lock down trigger also work and can be less obvious especially if the door or gate is hidden in a wall. Fire doors also help reduce fire damage too. When not in use, these doors need not (should not) conspicuously choke passage ways.Improve door locks. Use solid doors with hardened locks. Slow the undesired attacker’s entrance (take the attacker's time) and give students and teachers the ability to escape. These doors can still have windows. They don’t have to look like prison doors. In fact, it is better if they do not look like prison doors.Barriers without overwatch are meaningless. Without surveillance, barriers are often counter-productive. They become places to hide. Or the barrier intended to protect becomes a trap that slows escape. Well intentioned people want fences and walls. When one of the best responses is to leave the area of attack, adding fences and walls slows evacuation as well as limits the police and emergency responders situational awareness. The goal of a school administration should not be to hold students on site, it should be to evacuate as quickly as possible in as unpredictable a manner relative to the attacker as possible. This ties to the next facility related piece of the solution. Deny hiding places and give the students and teachers as well as emergency responders maximum situational awareness.B. Mirrors made of shatter-proof surfaces that eliminate blind corners and hiding spaces. We see these in hospitals to keep doctors and nurses from running into each other. This has the added benefit of reducing other undesirable activities too. Make it harder for attackers to surprise potential victims and enable law enforcement, and the attacker’s intended targets, to have greater situational awareness.C. Cameras. Hallways, entrances, approaches, and areas of congregation should have cameras. Cameras should be monitored. This is not just for attackers. There are many activities that take place in schools that ought not to take place, whether vandalism, bullying, drugs, student teacher interactions, that would also see beneficial response from attention.D. Public Address (P.A.) System. Mass notification is an ability most schools have. Use existing resources. School announcements: lunch menu, basketball scores, student body activities are broadcast over the P.A. along with emergency responses codes, drills, and assembly notices. P.A. systems gain their greatest potential when used in connection with cameras. Don’t simply use the P.A. to broadcast a threat in general terms e.g. “Attention students and teachers there is an active shooter on campus”. Use the P.A. and cameras to define the space for everyone; let everyone know where the threat is. If an attacker is identified in one area of the school, this should be announced. As the attacker is isolated in one area, the students and teachers in other areas should vacate.The only people in a school, or victims of any attack, who should be hiding, are those who cannot leave the area of the attack. Evacuation is the first goal. Hiding is a secondary course of action. It should not be a primary course of action. The last course of action is fighting. In the last few years this priority of actions has been reduced to the mantra, run, hide, fight. (see FBI / Homeland Security video, Run Fight & Hide https://youtu.be/ZvkdGK2j2Bs) It was developed for active shooter scenarios. The concept holds true for mass killings where an active attacker is the threat. If an attacker comes into a room the last thing to do is sit there. In Columbine, the students sat in their desks and let the two attackers put guns to their heads. In Springfield, the students hid behind tables until several decided to rush the attacker and disarmed him before emergency responders arrived at the scene of the attack. The first action should have been to leave. The second action should have been to hide in the least predictable place possible. In a school where students congregate in classrooms, this is predictable and a poor place to hide. The last thing to do is fight.Step 4: Make a Plan, Know the Plan, Work the PlanSchools range in how prepared they are. Being who I am, which is a slightly untrusting Marine father of seven, I test every school my children are students of. We've lived in 12 states and overseas. No public school other than on military bases, has ever lived up to their stated safety policy. Schools don’t need to be on a military base or be a fortress. They do need to be run by people with a clear plan. That plan needs to be known and practiced. Only then will it work in a crisis.I have always been told that visitors must check-in at the front office accessible through a main door and usually get a visitor pass. I make a practice to enter through a side door that should have been locked, and walk the hallways without a pass or ID. Most of the time I am not stopped. When I am, usually an excuse works to explain away my presence—I ask directions to the office and then I am then allowed to walk-off unescorted. I could be a divorced parent of a student I am not supposed to pick-up, or a homicidal maniac. I have never been escorted or stopped.Don’t establish policies that are not enforced and practiced. The students, teachers, administrators, and if possible, law enforcement should be familiar with the school plan of action. Where are exits? Where will students and teachers vacate to? Is there an officer on site who is familiar with the plan? If you ask students and community members to report information or ask for help, follow-up and provide help. Don’t advertise support that is not available. Stating there is a plan that is not practiced leads to false security.Step 5: School UniformsHelp defenders identify attackers quickly. Make strangers stand out. Although there are several benefits to school uniforms—better behavior, fewer distractions in class, and reduced money spent on clothes, the benefit in this context is, school officials and students alike instantly identify outsiders. There is much less chance of an attacker blending in.School uniforms have several psychological benefits from a schooling perspective. Yet, many communities do not like the lack of individualism. Coupled with cameras, this is likely one of the things many students and parents seem to dislike. Cameras require an investment in technology that costs money and having people man the cameras to provide active overwatch. For the most part, uniforms save money and are tech free.Step. 6 Don’t Advertise a Weakness“Gun Free Zone” is the worst advertising campaign in history. It not only invites people with firearms to attack a school (or similar space), it invites anyone with a rational plan built on a foundation of crazy to use pipe-bombs, knives, cars, “manufactured whatevers”, etc. to carry-out an attack. It is the same as saying, “Lunatics Come One, Come All”. Gun Free Zone is the kind of thing you announce when you want to draw attackers in. It feels good to some people. It lets them take the moral high-ground till it puts people six feet below ground.I am not going to go into too much detail, but the average American supermarket has what is needed to carry out an attack on a school or similarly cloistered public space resulting in the same number of deaths as most mass shootings. No need for a firearm at all. Average high-school chemistry classes provide knowledge of chemical reactions to do the same, plus they train students how to control the process of making hazardous compounds. Most warning labels and Material Safety Data sheets provide similar information. I am not saying anything new. We like to think we have a system of safety, but the means of providing safety in one area, like easily accessible labeling for hazardous material so firefighters know what risk they are taking, also provides a beacon of temptation for any nut-job with a vengeance issue, an empty basement, and time to use two brain cells.Easily, tens of millions of people in this country have knowledge to use this information to do harm. Letting the world know you have no means of stopping them, or at least equalizing the playing field, is not rational. It is called, the world of let’s pretend to be safe and fixate on a weapons platform that kills less than knives or hands/feet annually. The solution to the mass killings is in addressing the cause not the symptom. Advertising, Gun Free Zones exacerbates rather than ameliorates the problem.Step 7. Let People Protect ThemselvesEither bring law enforcement into the schools like it exists in other parts of the community or let legal gun owners who are trained and want to carry a firearm do so. Publicize it. As much as “Gun Free Zone” in an invitation for lunacy (it attracts lunatics like cows to low hanging fruit) letting the community know that a school or public place is protected is a deterrent. There is a reason communities patrolled by Neighborhood Watch post signs stating the neighborhood is patrolled. Advertising active real presence works, especially when there is an actual presence. Similarly, homes protected by security systems advertise the presence of the security system. Let people know the school is patrolled, watched, and there are active antibodies in the school ready to respond to human pathogens. Or do both. Wait you say, someone with a gun might go crazy and shoot… We’ve passed that point. That’s already happening. Plus, firearms are not the only means of killing. Also, allowing someone to protect themselves is not the same as mandating that they do so. No adult on a school campus should be forced to carry a firearm. Forcing people to carry who are not prepared increases risk.Harden the target. Although, I am a proponent of firearms wherever people are vulnerable, including schools, protection that potentially decreases the advantages an attacker has, doesn’t need to be limited to firearms. In most school shootings, where students hide in a classroom, a can of Raid Wasp/Hornet killer, or pepper spray that has similar range, would have gone a long way to saving many students and teachers. The insecticide in Raid makes it nearly impossible to see, it burns if sprayed in the eyes or soft tissue and shoots a tight stream of fluid 20 to 30 feet. An incapacitated attacker (one that cannot see or breath well) will not attack as well, if at all. Personally, I don’t like leaving an opportunity for the attacker to move. In the face of reluctance to use firearms, there are methods that reduce an attacker’s advantage of time and initiative. A wide range of non-lethal self-defense tools could be used. Many schools don’t encourage the use of non-lethals any more than firearms. In some cases the non-lethals proposed were silly. They required teachers and students to get within arms reach of the attacker without really incapacitating the attacker.Step 8: Enforce Existing LawsThere are millions of people who, by virtue of being diagnosed with some type of mental illness or having criminal records for domestic abuse or other violent crime, should not be allowed to buy a firearm. These people buy firearms not because of a legal loop hole, but because the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS)[iii] system used to perform required Federal background checks is not used fully or at all by many states. From the FBI website,Mandated by the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993 and launched by the FBI on November 30, 1998, NICS is used by Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) to instantly determine whether a prospective buyer is eligible to buy firearms. Before ringing up the sale, cashiers call in a check to the FBI or to other designated agencies to ensure that each customer does not have a criminal record or isn’t otherwise ineligible to make a purchase. More than 230 million such checks have been made, leading to more than 1.3 million denials.NICS is located at the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division in Clarksburg, West Virginia. It provides full service to FFLs in 30 states, five U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. Upon completion of the required Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Form 4473, FFLs contact the NICS Section via a toll-free telephone number or electronically on the Internet through the NICS E-Check System to request a background check with the descriptive information provided on the ATF Form 4473. NICS is customarily available 17 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays (except for Christmas). Please be advised that calls may be monitored and recorded for any authorized purpose.20 states do not fully use the NICS system. Let me say that again, millions of people across the country, who should not be allowed to purchase firearms (of one type or another) based on accepted standards, are able to do so because the Federal background check database is not used, or it is used incompletely by many states. The infrastructure is there. The process is there. Sometimes this is a case of data not getting submitted. In other occasions the reasons differ. Each state has its justification for participating or not, and to a degree, many reasons make sense—lack of funding impacts staffing and software development. So, why create another program that causes a new requirement when the previous hasn’t been fully implemented? Yet, for the victims of violent attacks, the answers which are often rooted in bureaucracy, lack moral merit.Many states have databases of their own. These state databases do not communicate with other states or the federal government NICS database. A mentally ill person from one state can move to another state and buy a firearm. Similarly, a criminal convicted of a state level crime, who ought to be prohibited from purchasing a firearm, can relocate to another state and purchase firearms. Although this is not universally true, it allows millions of people who legally ought to be prohibited from buying a firearm to purchase what they want regardless of any “ought to” stopping them. Technically, these are legal purchases. They should not be.The means to implement change is largely in place already. To resolve this issue, each state should either use the Federal NICS system or purchase/develop software allowing communication between the respective state systems and the NICS system. Point of sale background checks are reality. The background checks are taking place. The process breaks down on the database side of the house. The states are not entering the data.Step 9. Keep PerspectiveDespite the great deal of attention given to mass killings in and out of schools, the overall trend for all violent crime is going down and has for decades. In fact, US homicide rates are tied for the lowest they have been in a century. This is true of gun violence. If the goal is to end school shootings, and as I have added, mass killings regardless of the weapon used, then we should be asking, why is violent crime going down overall? How do we reinforce that trend?Using a window from 1982 to Feb 2018, mass shootings are not “all white” they roughly reflect demographics. Latino numbers were not nearly as high previously compared to now in part because Latino population has grown over time. So long term studies tend to skew down. Black mass shooters accounts for slightly higher percentage than their demographic but not by a huge margin. Males make up all but three shooters during this period. There was only one couple. These statistics mix school and non-school shootings.https://www.statista.com/statistics/476456/mass-shootings-in-the-us-by-shooter-s-race/Mass shootings kill fewer people than other methods of firearm homicide. Also, the popular notion that all mass killings are carried out by white men is not correct. Apart from gender mass killings generally reflect the demographic make-up of the US.Step 10. Recognize US RealityWhen the solution to the problem means conceding the criminal act of the perpetrator is unmanageable and then shifting from managing the crime to managing the non-criminal who is self-managing instead, there is a problem. This is not a reasoned approach. It is not a just approach. The gun control debate, and the mass-shooting sub-category, has shifted from reducing the crime and number of criminals, to attempting to control the law abiding. We cannot honestly say we are doing everything in our power to curb mass shootings/killings when we don’t use the provided tools like NCIS at even 50% efficiency. We cannot say we really want to stop the problem when we dismantled the mental health system decades ago over accusations of abuse (many true) rather than reform it. This is a two-fold tragedy. First, the law-abiding are being punished for something they did not do by removing weapons they lawfully and safely held and then leaves them less safe. Second, gun-control will not address the underlying issues that leads to criminal acts of homicide.This question addresses mass shootings. But part of the mystique that shapes the gun violence and other forms of violence, is the ambivalent social attitude we have on criminal violence in general. As a society, we want to punish criminality “hard”—get those guys in prison and make them pay. Given the level of incarceration the US has, we don’t mind paying for prison. But, a convicted criminal has a tough time getting a job once they are out of prison. That leaves us paying for the ex-cons again, once they get out of prison in other ways: welfare, revolving prisons stays, increased criminality by many, etc.Treat drugs as a health issue. Provide treatment. Lower prison populations. Reduce the hardening of criminals. Why? Significant amount of gun homicide in the US is associated with some other criminal activity like drugs and gang activity. My personal perspective on this has shifted recently through discussions I have had online. Many gun-rights advocates perceive gun homicides to be linked to drugs and gangs. There is significant correlation but not near the levels I previously thought (More on this in Step 11). Still, drugs and gangs play a significant role in creating a culture of gun violence. Reduced drug trafficking and gang activity will result in lower gun violence since drug traffickers/gangs are primarily protecting supply lines and territory.This means two things. One, treat drug-use like a social health issue rather than a criminal issue. Stop putting people in prison and giving them records that decrease employment once a convict gets out of prison. Two, reduce trafficking. This means having a functioning immigration policy at the national level to address cross border traffic. It also means rethinking what constitutes recreational drug use. Is it marijuana and alcohol? Or something else too? Whatever it is, the ambivalent approach we are taking doesn’t work.Why does it matter? Less crime, higher employment, means safer healthier communities and that drives down the environment that produces many social ills that are connected to mass killings.Step 11. It’s Not the Guns. No Really. It’s Not the GunsThis is not another version of, it is the person not the weapon—the often-raised point made by gun rights advocates. That is a perspective I agree with at the point of attack. However, at a larger socio-economic level, whether this is true or not is irrelevant to the causal factors that drive gun homicide. Long term, poverty and income inequality is the single most important issue driving gun violence. It is connected to Step 10 but given the almost singular role it plays in homicide rates it merits focused attention and deliberate policy response. It also merits singular attention because the connection to gun-homicide and poverty and income inequality is almost completely ignored. It is also likely to be the most controversial.A great deal of hay has been made by gun control advocates asserting the US is unique in gun homicides. Comparisons showing the US evaluated against other selected developed countries are almost germane to the discussion. Near universally the data is manipulated to reach a set conclusion—guns ownership equates to shooting homicides.Everybody’s Lying About the Link Between Gun Ownership and Homicide discusses the distortion of statistical data used in many stories and studies. The author, BJ Campbell does a better job than I can of explaining the data manipulation in Everybody’s Lying and two following essays (cited at the end of this answer). For me to make a point he makes well on his own, I would shamelessly copy his charts and graphs. Instead, I encourage you to look at his articles (all three together are shorter than this answer).Yes, this flies in the face of common assertions made by many networks and media outlets. It also flies in the face of the general assertion made by many gun-rights advocates that firearm homicides are mostly linked to drug trafficking, which is an assertion I have made in the past. Drug related killing is significant but not nearly as much as is often stated.Yet, if the root cause of gun homicides in the US has more to do with poverty and income disparity than the firearm, ultimately gun-control will not succeed by banning scary deaths by AR-15s because it won’t curb the cause. Over time the method based on firearms will be replaced by something else.Mass shootings have less to do with gun availability than socio-economics. Firearms are a means to an end. So are pipe-bombs, and knives used in an attack, or any other tool used to commit murder. There is no causal connection to homicides and guns in society. When the data is examined, the single biggest impact on who commits murder with or without a gun is income disparity and poverty. Jobs and social mobility and things like school choice that voluntarily break-up stagnant communities that reinforce victimization and mediocrity will decrease homicides across society far more than gun-control efforts. Jobs and social mobility and being able to take responsibility for yourself are seeds of hope, which is the opposite of nihilism.Step 12. Head Games & Heart PainsIn Step 8, I mention enforcing existing laws that would keep firearms out of the hands of the mentally ill. It is beneficial to the goal. It also side-steps the problem. It treats a symptom, not the cause. Mental health and emotional health drive the issue of mass killings, homicides, and suicides. Addressing the mental health issues and emotional issues that drive people to kill on mass is the real challenge. I would separate ideological extremists from this discussion. People like the San Bernardino couple, the Unibomber, the 911 attackers, and the attacker of the Oklahoma City Federal Building show, the ideologically or politically motivated attackers can share similar characteristics as perpetrators of mass killings at schools and similar locations. Yet, perpetrators of the mass killings discussed here are more tied to health issues, socio-economics, and the broader culture of nihilistic narcissism.In a world of post-modernist relativism where having standards for ethical behavior and just action can be hard to achieve, setting standards is a daunting task. Yet, society fails if there are not standards of acceptable behavior. Society depends on social norms. Perhaps coming to such agreement on what those social norms ought to be is the hardest to achieve of all the steps above.In simple terms people deserve respect. People have intrinsic value. We are not a virus plaguing the planet. We are not simply animals chasing our most urgently felt passion i.e. live for today for tomorrow we die. My anguish does not supersede your right to exist. My feelings should not condemn you. Protecting individuals from correction and truth leads to miserable self-image. Meritless platitudes aimed at promoting self-esteem, create oversized egos. Inflating ego through false or exaggerated praise is not the same thing as recognizing intrinsic value; it often leads to inflated sense of self-worth, which does not bode well when confronted by reality. To a greater degree than before, we are raising children with expectations of instant gratification, and who have a false idea of self-importance. Simultaneously, we are allowing near unfettered access to social media platforms that feed the narcissism and enable mobs of narcissists or bullies to attack others more than ever before. It is a situation almost designed to create distorted self-image. In an age of instant gratification, it can be hard to see past the pain of today to a better tomorrow. My grandfather, who lived through the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War, used to say, “This too shall pass.” We are not helping the youth of today understand that many trials and tribulations of today are temporary. The mentally ill are even less able to contend with pain and anguish.If we are to give our children healthy self-images, we need to tame social media. Too much of a good thing is bad. In the case of social media there is just a lot of bad. Parents need to be parents. Where parents are less present, other social agencies need to step in. Pastors, coaches, teachers, mentors of various types need to model and enable activities that provide an outward focus for young people growing up.Additionally, in the case of every school attacker I have looked at, the signs were clearly seen by parents, teachers, health workers, and peers. In some cases, even police agencies were aware. Yet, in all cases there were multiple levels of failure. Let that sink in. Multiple levels of failure by the people who knew the attackers best and professionals most trained to deal with these attackers.A principle at a school my children attended once said of students who suffer behavioral disorders, that these students could not be held accountable because they did not have the privilege of stable families. So, the students were allowed to hit, spit, throw things, and yell at other students and teachers. This principle threw-away every referral that involved these students. Instead of providing some structure and stability needed for learning, he fostered the next generation of mal-adjusted community members who will act out. Like the examples of the attackers in almost every school killing every professional, parent, and teacher involved in these student’s lives sees the red flags. They know the trouble that will come. Yet, the students are passed on from year to year without addressing the issue.If we tell children there is no inherent value in life, then reinforce it by withholding better options for education and jobs, and we instill a self-focus that creates limited connection to community and family, we ought not be surprised when we have mass killings of any kind. Affluence is not the remedy for nihilism or narcissism. Community involvement, personal responsibility, and purpose is. As adults and members of our various communities we need to personally engage and demonstrate options besides the path to self-destruction. This is the greatest challenge. It is also the only way to create real change.Editorial Comment:One way technology can be leveraged is through smart phone apps. Students already have faster communication than law enforcement and administrators are capable of. Students text details faster than information can be compiled because those details are not being sent and processed by emergency responders. Capitalize on this. Let students voluntarily provide details through an app that links to parents, emergency responders, and school officials. Use it for all emergencies. KEEP IT SIMPLE & INTUITIVE. This is a quick response app that provides key details: location of attacker, health emergency, fire, etc. once the person sending info is not in immediate danger. This improves communication and situational awareness.This could be a general site plan with a drop down menu to provide a short list of emergencies, touch screen for location, and level of security i.e. unsafe but can't move or safe. The details need to be refined. The point is there are tools available that are not expensive. They primarily cost time, thought, and effort to implement.Everybody’s Lying About the Link Between Gun Ownership and Homicide” @Freakoutery https://medium.com/@bjcampbell/everybodys-lying-about-the-link-between-gun-ownership-and-homicide-1108ed400be5“The Gun Homicide Epidemic Isn’t” @Freakoutery https://medium.com/@bjcampbell/the-gun-homicide-epidemic-isnt-ac13b21ff3f9The Left Is Making the Wrong Case on Gun Deaths. Here’s a Better Case.” @Freakoutery https://medium.com/@bjcampbell/the-left-is-making-the-wrong-case-on-gun-deaths-heres-a-better-case-1429e7ad2f25[i] The 1927 Bombing That Remains America’s Deadliest School MassacreThe 1927 Bombing That Remains America’s Deadliest School Massacre[ii] Quicker Response to Active ShootersQuicker Response to Active Shooters[iii] National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS)National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS)

There are countless practical uses of Astrology. Below I am explaining one particular field:EARLY GUIDANCE FOR EDUCATION AND CAREERIt would be incorrect to think that our ancestors did not have a system for educating / training their young ones but the process was never as sophisticated – rather complicated, confusing and costly – as it has become now; but that is not the issue under consideration here. The point in case is that in Vedic astrology the topic of education and career has been dealt with in accordance with the practices followed at the time this literature was created. The trends and practices of the present educational system are altogether different and it is difficult to match these with the Vedic pattern. Even the terminology and idiom of expression used in Vedic astrology greatly differs from the one used in modern psychology and the education system. Besides, the subjects which one could study and the occupations which one could take-up could be counted on finger-tips in those days but to-day it appears impossible to count the number of subjects and the occupations in vogue.Still, in our the ancient literature on Vedic Astrology like Manu-smriti, we do find a classification useful for the purpose of planning the education and careers of people. The modern human society may not appear to have the same constitution and classification which existed at the time of the compilation / documentation of the Manu-smriti and to-day we may find it somewhat difficult to identify people having exactly same properties as described therein, but still there exists an almost parallel classification even to-day.Besides, there is a formidable array of rules and specific / ad hoc configurations (योग) for judging the physical / mental abilities, intelligence, aptitude, interests / inclinations, dedication, nature of the occupation, opportunities and over all achievements of a person applicable to the area of education and career and with its help a very efficient system to suit our present day requirements can be formulated; such as:General abilityIn Vedic Astrology the first and foremost priority is given to scanning the horoscope for Arishta yogas. Arishta (अरिष्ट) is a Sanskrit word which, apart from meaning the brine, vinegar, alcohol or any other fermented material is also used for things tainted or spoiled. Almost all books have a chapter in the very beginning titled Arishta yogaddhyaya (अरिष्ट-योगाध्याय). In the present context it refers to some serious complication, deficiency, draw-back or disability of the individual rendering him / her physically, mentally or emotionally unfit for leading a normal life. The persons having arishta yogas in their horoscopes are likely to become a liability and a source of permanent discomfort for the family and the society.The Arishta yogaddhyayas are followed by another chapter titled Arishtabhang yogaddhyaya (अरिष्टभंग-योगाध्याय). The object of this chapter is clear from the title itself because the expression Arishtabhang means rendering any arishtas ineffective.So, right at the time of a person’s birth, we can have a pretti correct idea whether he is going to be the bread-winner, the home-maker, or a liability for the family / society and we can plan his education accordingly.ManovikarApart from arishtas there are configurations called pretbadha or manovikar (प्रेतबाधा अथवा मनोविकार). Persons having this type of configurations in their horoscopes, even though may generally appear normal, suffer from psycho-somatic problems or some or the other kind of mania, phobia, depression, temper-tantrums or are either neurotics or psychotics. When under stress they may breakdown, become violent or even commit suicide.So, when the horoscope is either free from the arishta yogas and the manovikars, or if not, such yogas are nullified by arishta bhanga yogas, it can be expected that the new-born will grow into a physically, mentally and emotionally fit person, be able to cope with stress and lead a normal life.Type A or Type B personalityVedic-astrology places people into two broad categories based on their activeness – ‘the proactive’ (अग्नि-संपत, अभ्युदयशील) and the ‘cool ones’ (सोम-संपत, सौम्य). The proactive are further divided into two categories – ‘the efficient’ (दक्ष, कुशल) and ‘the confused’ (भ्रमित, संशयात्मा). Similarly, the cool ones also stand divided into two categories – ‘the steady operators’ (संयत, सहज) and ‘the indolent’ (आलस्य-युक्त, दरिद्री).It is the confused proactive who matches the personality traits of Type A persons and the cool and steady operators match those of the Type B.Mental development – Closely linked to the issue of ability is the assessment of mental development – very useful for selection of the subjects and professional courses. Although Vedic Astrology does not have any concepts like intelligence quotient etc., still there are clearly identified criteria as well as specific configurations which can give a good idea of the intelligence of a person and it is possible to place a person in one of the following four, or rather five categories:According to Manusmriti the personality traits of creatures inhabiting this earth are placed into three categories:1. Satogun1. Scholarly, learned, or having academic calibre. Such persons are profound thinkers, devoted to the pursuit of knowledge and make top ranking scientists, philosophers, researchers, authors and educationists etc. Pursuits, other than that of knowledge are not likely to find a place of priority in their lives.2. Brilliant and clever, intelligent, talented, ingenious, imaginative, innovative, creative and skilled. In this category we clearly have two levels – the leaders and the followers.2.1 The leaders are the proactive persons who make good politicians, legislators, judicaturists, administrators, managers, technocrats, commanders, industrialists and business magnets and all kinds of professionals depending upon their aptitude and the area of interest and are generally successful persons. They are the policy makers and either run or hold important assignments in the governments, corporations or other institutions.2.2 The followers constitute the supporting machinery and work under the first category. They are the executives and operate at the middle management level.3. Uninspired, unimaginative and simple minded. Such people can handle the routine work.4. Dull, obtuse, dense; no further explanation is needed.Selection of subjects: Aptitude and the area of interestAccording to our present system of education our youth, after passing the tenth are required to opt for subjects they would like to study at the plus two level or even after that, by making selection from particular groups of subjects known as streams. Ostensibly, the purpose is to lay the foundation and make preparations for higher studies or the professional courses they propose to join later for a career of their choice. It is at this stage that the young ones and their parents start applying their minds to the matter and start consultations. Apparently there is nothing wrong with the practice, but perhaps we forget that there are subjects, skills and professions for which preparations can be made much-much earlier; e.g. all kinds of arts – creative, visual or performing, all kinds of craftsmanship and all kinds of athletics / sports etc. In the context of these skills we frequently say “catch them young” but very often forget to do so.Since astrological appraisal is possible at a much earlier age than it is possible to administer a psychological test – as early as at the time of birth - we need not wait till after the board examinations for selecting and inducting the naturally talented children into these streams and also need not burden them with the unnecessary anxiety about their mark-sheets of tenth or plus two; and at the same time provide them with an opportunity to condition their neuromuscular co-ordination and develop the reflexes required for the specific skills needed in these fields.Vedic astrology has good and time tested methods for indicating the stream/s for which a particular person has a natural aptitude such as:Pure Sciences: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics,Life Sciences: Biology, ChemistryNature Studies: Geography, Environment and ecologyApplied Sciences: Agriculture and allied subjects, Animal husbandry, Home scienceCommerce: Accountancy, Law, Management,Humanities: Psychology, Sociology, Philosophy, History, Political science, EconomicsLanguages and Literature: creative arts – Literature, Poetry, Drama etc.Performing Arts: Music, Dance, Acting, visual arts: Sculpture, Drawing and painting, craftsmanship,Athletics: Games, sports, physical education including yogaMultidisciplinary or versatile: Vedic-astrology, recognizes the fact that there are persons who are versatile and show equal proficiency in more than one discipline and, can give a finding accordingly.Indeterminate: There are persons who, even if intelligent and able to follow more than one discipline, find it difficult to make a decision and are confused. Vedic-astrology can help them decide in favour of the option most suited to their potential.Nature of occupation and the source of livelihoodSelection of a professional course requires a separate investigation because some times it happens that a person who pursued a particular subject or even a professional course, later on joined a job having nothing to do with that. There are examples that about 35 years ago a person having aquired a degree in medicine (M.B.B.S.) appeared in the All India Services competitive examinations, was selected for the I.P.S., joined and recently retired from the post of D.G.P. Although, a fully qualified Doctor of Medicine, he never worked as one.This example has been given here to show that it is not essential that the aptitude or the area of interest and the nature of occupation be one and the same in each and every case. Vedic-astrology can indicate such possibility in advance.Selection of a professional courseIn the ancient times our socio-economic structure was comparatively simple and the number of occupations from which a person had to make a choice could be counted on finger-tips. To-day, such selection has become extremely difficult because of the colossal expansion in the economic activities creating unlimited opportunities. However, the professional courses can be grouped into the following major categories:TechnicalPure technology – e.g. All Engineering coursesApplied technology – e.g. Medical - including surgery, Military, Police etc.Creative – e.g. architecture, product designingProductive – e.g. agricultureSemi-technicalApplied – e.g. Home Science, nursingNature studies – Geography, ecology, environmentArtisticVisual arts (drawing, painting, designing, craftsmanship and sculpture)Performing arts (singing, playing musical instruments, acting and dancing etc.)AthleticGames and sports, yogaNon-technicalAdministrative / Managerial / Law enforcement and judicatureMinisterial / Executive / AccountancyAcademic (teaching and research etc.) including creative arts like literature (writing fiction, poetry and drama) etc.Social work, alternate medicineWith the help of Vedic astrology it is possible to identify / select the most appropriate category for an individual from the above list.There are many other fields, such as the social / domestic / health area of our life where astrology can have valuable practical use.

Please read Swarna Bharat Party's detailed policy on Justice systemEfficient and effective justice systemSwarna Bharat Party’s justice policyIn its 117th Report (1986), the Law Commission observed: “The Indian Judicial System is admittedly colonial in origin and imported in structure. Without even a semblance of change in the last four decades since independence, in its mode, method of work, designations, language, approach, method of resolving disputes, it has all the trappings of the system established by the foreign rulers.”All freedom must necessarily be bound by accountability. We are free to do what we please, so long as we do not harm others. The justice system ensures accountability. If we harm anyone, justice must be quick and proportionate so everyone involved can get on with their life. But today there are about 3.80 crore pendencies/arrears/backlogs and cases drag on for years altogether, depriving many citizens of justice and violating their fundamental rights to life and liberty.We will commission a first-principles review of the justice system, to report in two years. In the meanwhile, we will implement a suite of reforms, some of which are outlined below.1.1 An impeccably honest and high quality judiciaryOur judiciary must be above board and above suspicion. It is crucial that the judiciary be perceived to be absolutely honest, unbiased, and accountable. Unfortunately, influential people are able to manipulate the ‘justice’ system to avoid jail. Petitions of rich and influential people are heard within days (even hours), while matters related to the poor languish for years, often never being completed in an entire lifetime. Chief Justice P. Sathasivam of the Supreme Court has acknowledged in July 2013 that the judiciary is not untouched by corruption.[1] A strong stench of corruption is arising from the courts. Bribery and perjury have destroyed the roots of the justice system, making it less a justice system than a system of ‘match-fixing’.We will create systems to ensure an honest and unbiased judiciary.1.1.1 CRIME PUNISHABLE WITH DEATH TO BRIBE A JUDGE OR FOR A JUDGE TO TAKE A BRIBEBribing judges (and judges accepting bribes) is perhaps the worst of all crimes – since it can lead to the innocent being punished and the guilty going scot-free. There is no more heinous offender of liberty than a judge that is not impartial.We will make it a crime punishable by death to bribe any Sessions Judge, High Court Judge or Supreme Court, or for a judge to accept a bribe. Other – lower – judges too, shall be sternly punished, likewise.The government itself is a litigant in many cases and should be punished if it bribes the judiciary. A judge should receive only his salary and associated entitlements; no more. It will become a crime punishable by death of the relevant Chief Minister or Prime Minister for any government to give any additional pecuniary benefits to any judge – such as the allocation of government land at a subsidised cost – over and above the contractual amount.1.1.2 NON-DISCRETIONARY ENFORCEMENT OF PERJURY LAWSThe lackadaisical attitude of many judges towards perjury is a systemic abuse that is destroying the very foundations of the justice system. People submit false affidavits with impunity today, as judges do not seem to care. False statements and evidence are often recorded under the very nose of trial judges. ‘Witnesses’, who are bought, appear in multiple cases before the same judge, with impunity. As a result, only the honest now fear the judiciary. There is a deep sense of despair at the breakdown of the rule of law.We will legislate to require judges to mandatorily impose stiff penalties for perjury, with a minimum six month prison sentence. It will also become a criminal offence for judges to not penalise perjury. Repeat offenders – who are proven to have accepted false statements as true – will be cautioned through the senior courts and further failures will invite formal complaints and FIRs. Judges need to be held to account for the truth of any evidence they rely upon for a judgement.1.1.2.1 TRANSPARENCY IN THE APPOINTMENT AND TRANSFER OF JUDGESThe existing system of appointments to the superior judiciary, through a collegium of senior judges in High Courts and the Supreme Court suffers from perceived deficiencies in quality, being an in-house process.We will seek to discuss with the Supreme Court Chief Justice to identify and action any opportunities for improving the system of appointment of judges, including (if necessary) through reforms such as the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill and the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill. A key to judicial appointments should be the deep held commitment of judges to liberty, including freedom of speech.NO ONE TO BECOME A JUDGE WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT EXPERIENCE AS A LAWYERCurrently there is no minimum practice requirement for becoming a judge in the district courts. People can directly appear after their law degree for an exam to become a judge. We will seek advice from the Supreme Court regarding imposing a requirement of significant case practice as a necessary pre-condition to appear in the exam in order to become a judge.1.1.2.2 INDEPENDENT COMMISSION FOR REMUNERATION OF JUDGESWe believe that most judges are poorly paid today relative to their private practice capability, creating incentives for corruption. But any corruption in the judiciary is fatal to the purpose of a justice system. We will establish an independent commission for remuneration of judges to advice on a market-comparable compensation framework. The framework should include incentives for quality, accuracy and speed of judgements. Given the extreme significance of this matter, we intend to accept without any delay the recommendations of such a commission. The people of India cannot be penny-wise and pound-foolish in relation to such a critical requirement as justice.1.1.2.3 FREEDOM (JUSTICE) MINISTER TO BE PAID BASED ON QUALITY AND SPEED OF JUSTICEThe Justice Minister, like all Ministers, will be paid partly according to results. KPIs for the Minister would include targets for resolving the case backlog, as well as indicators of speed and quality.1.1.2.4 TRAINING TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND EFFICIENCY OF JUSTICEWithout a commensurate strengthening of training and orientation among judicial officers / judges and lawyers, a rapid increase in the number of judges can put a strain on the quality of judgements. We will significantly upgrade the existing training systems of judges with a focus not merely on any changes to the law, but on best practice court procedures, such as that:arguments should be heard soon after the close of evidence, as they take much less time than arguments advanced after a long interval (recommendation of the 77th Law Commission);trial courts judgments should be brief and not a show of learning, and yet deal with inconvenient contentions and crucial arguments by appraising the evidence, relevant statutory provisions and such authorities that have direct bearing;Order 17, Rule 1, CPC (which does not allow more than three adjournments) should be followed and dilatory tactics including frequent adjournments, delays in filing documents, delays in serving or evading service be firmly curbed;judgments should be pronounced within 30 days (Order 20, Rule 1, CPC) and decrees within 15 days; anda time limit should be enforced on unnecessary details, such as over-proving allegations or unduly prolix examinations and cross examinations of witnesses.1.1.2.5 INTERNAL REVIEW SYSTEM: ACCOUNTABILITY FOR TIMELY JUSTICEWe will discuss with the Supreme Court options to introduce an internal review system to deal with complaints against judges and any unnecessary delays by judges.1.2 Timely, efficient and effective delivery of justice1.2.1 RAPID DISPOSAL OF CASES OF UNDER-TRIAL PRISONERSIt is a shame that thousands of under-trials are in jail for over ten years without their guilt having been established. We will cause a review of all cases of under-trial prisoners. Except for alleged crimes against person, they will either be freed on bail or permanently released if the time they have served is more than half the maximum statutory sentence.1.2.2 SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF JUDGESIndia currently has a ratio of around 13.5 judges for every one million persons. In developed countries, there are 130-135 judges for every one million persons. A judge needs to go into the details of the evidence and the law before deciding a case. Quality justice takes time. Without dramatically increasing the number of judges, we cannot deliver timely and quality justice to the people of India. The Supreme Court has directed an increase in the strength of judges to 50 per million in the subordinate judiciary. We believe this is an essential governance reform. We are committed to increasing the strength of judges to at least 50 judges per million within three years. Funds for this will be raised from recovery of efficient costs of the justice system through appropriate fees, and from rationalisation of the tax system.1.2.2.1 TRIPLING THE EXPENDITURE ON JUSTICE IN THREE YEARSKorea spends more than 0.2%, Singapore 1.2%, and the U.S. 1.4% of its GDP on justice. India, however, spent only 0.01% of the GDP on justice in 2000. What can be more absurd than this, that a core function of the government has been given such short shrift by successive governments in India? By cutting out unnecessary functions, we will redirect savings into core functions, one of the most important of these being justice. A quantum increase in expenditure on the justice system will be considered, at least tripling the current spending within three years, and much more in the future.1.2.3 FAST-TRACK OPTIONS1.2.3.1 FAST-TRACK COURTS TO DEAL WITH CORRUPTION/ CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST MPSThis policy has been detailed earlier, and is a critical part of our commitment to ensure that only good people are able to become elected representatives.1.2.3.2 FAST-TRACK COURTS FOR CRIMES COMMITTED AGAINST PERSONWe will create a fast-track system for crimes against person, with a maximum judgement time of 12 months from the date of reporting such crime, including a maximum of six months for investigation. Exceptions to this timeline will be investigated by a Judicial Commission and any necessary extensions given only in exceptional cases. Officials responsible for unnecessary delays will be punished.Terrorists and those who potentially pose a grave threat to the nation would be tried even more quickly through special courts.1.2.3.3 OTHER CASES REQUIRING TO BE FAST-TRACKEDWe will request the Supreme Court to strengthen its normal prioritisation mechanism. Cases requiring urgent attention/priority should be fast-tracked. This could include cases involving the death sentence; habeas corpus petitions; where orders have been passed staying other proceedings, or against orders of remand; cases involving senior citizens (whose timeline for justice is necessarily shorter); cases affecting custody of children; and motor vehicle accidents.1.2.4 MEASURES TO REDUCE PROCEDURAL DELAYS AND THE TIME AND COST OF JUSTICEWe will undertake a range of reforms to reduce justice system delays and costs. Illustratively, these include:1.2.4.1 PRE-LITIGATION MEASURESSection 89 of the Civil Procedure Code (CPC) provides for alternate dispute redressal mechanisms (ADRs). After issues are framed, cases can be referred to appropriate ADRs. Streamlining this process can reduce the time and other costs of justice.We will enhance the process to refer parties for counselling prior to commencing litigation, especially when there is scope for settlement. In general, all cases between two or more government agencies/departments should be settled outside courts – or through the inter-governmental machinery.We will create a regulatory regime that supports any private online dispute resolution initiatives for minor issues. In a competitive market, such systems are likely to be cheaper and quicker than comparable government systems.1.2.4.2 PLEA BARGAININGChapter 21 A of The Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) provides for pre-emption of trial for petty offences punishable with imprisonment up to 7 years, through a mutually satisfactory disposition where the court directs the accused to pay an agreed compensation to the victim, and may either release the accused on probation or sentence the accused to up to half the minimum punishment prescribed for the offence in question.Unfortunately, plea-bargaining is rarely used in local courts. We will review the use of plea-bargaining and streamline it, excluding certain offences such as those committed against a woman or a child below the age of fourteen. This will significantly increase its use.1.2.4.3 STERN PUNISHMENT FOR FRIVOLOUS LITIGATION AND APPEALSThe government itself is a huge contributor to justice system delays. In matters where it is a party, it is common for the government to evade notices, reply to notices without application of mind, and unnecessarily appeal even when the laws are clearly in favour of the other party. Parties with deep pockets also waste a lot of judicial time, with vicious and frivolous cases and appeals, each of which is ultimately lost with strictures.The 192nd Report by the Law Commission (2005) outlined the concept of a vexatious litigant and proposed a draft bill, The Vexatious Litigation Prevention Bill. We will enact strong legislation to impose costs on parties engaging in frivolous litigation. In particular, we will make laws to stringently punish the senior-most government functionaries found responsible for vexatious litigation.Such penalties will also apply to police officers whose parking or other tickets are dismissed by courts.1.2.4.4 STOPPING ENDLESS APPEALSDue to slack judicial action, cases in India are often disposed without deciding the real issue. This results in endless appeals. Lawyers are also paid on a per-court appearance basis, and hence have little incentive to resolve cases. Procedural laws allow lawyers of clients who oppose the resolution of a case to submit endless interlocutory appeals. We will review and streamline civil and criminal procedures, to avoid such obfuscation of justice. We will regulate legal fees to require a cap on costs to be declared for each case by litigating lawyers to prevent their incentive to lengthen proceedings.1.3 Structural reforms of the judicial system1.3.1 MAKING THE SUPREME COURT MORE ACCESSIBLEGiven the heavy caseload and backlogs, as well as the time and costs imposed on litigants to travel to Delhi from distant states, there is much merit in decentralising the Supreme Court. The 2009 Law Commission recommended that the Supreme Court be split into a Constitution Bench in New Delhi and Cassation Benches in the four regions to deal with all the appellate work arising out of high court decisions. Though the Supreme Court has expressed reservations about any such radical re-structuring, we believe that one additional branch of the Supreme Court, initially in Bangalore, should be piloted in the first instance. Any concerns of the Supreme Court about capacity to govern the Cassation Benches can be addressed through close-circuit video conferencing, so regular private meetings can be held with the Chief Justice.1.3.2 INDEPENDENT PROSECUTING AGENCYWe will create an independent prosecuting body to ensure that police and investigative agencies have collated sufficient evidence and have reasonable prospects of securing conviction, before filing a charge sheet. This will also apply to cases filed by the government in civil matters and help minimise unnecessary government-created litigation. Internal review of processes and of any complaints received, and external audit of its performance would support other governance processes in place to ensure integrity and competence of this organisation.1.3.3 COMMERCIAL COURTSGiven the costly and time-critical nature of large commercial and contractual cases (such as IPR, mergers and acquisitions), we will set up Special Commercial Courts to fast-track such litigation, with a significantly higher fee. We will also appoint experienced and qualified judges on contract for technically complex cases. Such contractual judges could be hired from anywhere in the world.These actions will also empower our judicial system to increasingly take on the role of a global hub for arbitration and legal process outsourcing.1.3.4 MOBILE COURTS, LOK ADALATS, FAMILY COURTSFor relatively minor civil matters, we will set up mobile courts and encourage people to use the services of private arbitrators. We will increase Lok Adalats to one per 50 villages, and increase the number of Family Courts.1.3.5 PANCHAYATS TO JUDGE SIMPLE CIVIL AND CRIMINAL MATTERSToday, even petty cases tend to go before judges. We will pilot the use of panchayats for some minor civil and criminal issues, and minor land disputes. If successful, this would be rolled out, while always ensuring that panchayats abide by the norms of liberty and justice.1.3.6 PILOTING THE JURY SYSTEM IN CRIMINAL TRIALSAfter first speeding up criminal trials, we will consider ways to improve the quality of judgements, including by adopting a jury system in certain trials. There are some risks to a jury system, with many prevalent citizen prejudices that could distort justice. However, a jury system respects citizens’ judgement and can, in the longer run, result in fairer judgements as citizens’ education and the ability to assess evidence improves. We will pilot this system in relatively minor criminal matters and evaluate it before considering a broader rollout.1.3.7 PRIVATE COURTS FOR CERTAIN CIVIL MATTERSWe will enact laws to enable private (including online) arbitration and courts. Citizens will be able to choose in advance the use of such private courts as part of contracts such as for the construction of a house. Upon activating a dispute, the losing party will be required to pay penalties, including reasonable legal costs. This will create competition for justice (thus also keeping government courts on their toes) and lead to innovative, quicker justice. This will also, by reducing government court caseloads, ease justice system backlogs and save taxpayers significant amounts of money.1.4 Making the justice system more humane1.4.1 FREE HIGH QUALITY LEGAL AIDThe poor (those eligible for an NIT-type payment) will also be eligible for free high quality legal aid, the costs of which will be partially met through penalties imposed on the losing parties. No aid will be provided where it is determined by the legal aid system that the party is guilty.1.4.2 EASIER ACCESS TO BAILWe will make the option of bail for most charges (excluding crimes against person) mandatory and easier, to minimise unnecessary harassment of potentially innocent people.1.4.3 PRISON REFORMS INCLUDING REHABILITATION AND REDUCED RECIDIVISMPrison should be a place for a prisoner to repent the crime and to reform, to facilitate re-integration with society upon their release. We will introduce privatized prisons (with appropriate regulatory oversight) to be partly paid on reduced recidivism ratesImprisonment, being a restriction on freedom of movement, is itself a major punishment. There is no need for further cruel and degrading treatment of prisoners. We will also take measures to look after prisoners’ families, particularly of their children, to ensure that any ill-effects on their upbringing and self-confidence due to their parents’ imprisonment are minimized.1.4.4 REVIEW OF PRIVATE COSTS OF REPORTING CRIME AND REDUCING THESE COSTSThe effects of reporting certain violent crime, such as rape, on the mind, career, marriage prospects and social status of the complainant are often enormous. The victim thus gets further victimised. These reporting and social obstacles create incentives for significant under-reporting, thus emboldening criminals.We will review the private costs of reporting violent crime and introduce a range of laws and supports that make it easier to report and reduce the distress and costs (including social costs, such as through appropriate confidentiality) involved.1.4.4.1 LOOKING AFTER THE VICTIMS OF SERIOUS CRIMESWe will strengthen systems (largely through civil society institutions) to support and rehabilitate victims (and victim families), to ensure that they are reintegrated back into society at the earliest.1.5 Modernisation of lawsWe will modernise laws, particularly the penal laws. Some of the key modernisation issues are outlined below. Some others are mentioned elsewhere in this document, such as in relation to freedom of speech and property rights.1.5.1 GOVERNMENT TO BE LIABLE FOR HARM CAUSEDWe will legislate a duty of care that all government employees must ensure in their interactions with their clients. This will allow the government to be sued for damages where government servants, through their acts of commission or omission, harm citizens.1.5.2 REVIEW OF CONTEMPT OF COURT PROVISIONSJudges need powers to enforce decorum and demand discipline as part of the judicial process. However, there is a countervailing requirement to require constitutionally consistent restrictions on the exercise of these provisions, to limit any wilful misuse. Contempt of court provisions will therefore be reviewed and appropriate rules created to ensure these powers are deployed only in extremely limited cases.1.5.3 CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR HEINOUS CRIMESFor heinous crimes (including serious cases of corruption, child abuse and rape), judges would be required to specifically justify any exception to capital punishment, once proof beyond reasonable doubt has been adduced. Capital punishment in such cases would create a deterrent effect.1.5.4 MINIMUM STANDARDS, NOT A UNIFORM CIVIL CODEArticle 44 of the Constitution contains a directive principle that the state shall endeavour to secure for citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India.[We believe that a Constitution should not include policy mandates. Policy must remain the prerogative of elected governments. We respectfully do not agree with the policy outlined in this Article and will commend a more refined approach to the country, consistent with liberty.]In relation to the substantive content of Article 44, it is to be noted that most religions specify some level of details regarding marriage and divorce. These are personal matters involving the most intimate unit of human existence: the family. Religious obligations on families are outside the scope of a government’s jurisdiction. Even in non-religious personal arrangements about marriage, there is fundamentally no role for government. Families should be able to structure themselves without violating the life or liberty of family members or others. A marriage contract or sacrament is a matter of personal taste on which the state can have nothing substantial to say.The only role a state can have in this regard relates to establishing norm-setting minimum standards, such as a minimum age of marriage, minimum maintenance requirements upon divorce and minimum inheritance requirements in absence of a will. All that would be required would be for citizens to abide by the legislated minimum standards while complying with the mandates of their individual faiths.More broadly, since there is no role for the state in religion, we will review all religious (e.g. Hindu/ Muslim) legislation on the statue books and replace it with generic rules of accountability applicable to all citizens.1.5.5 STRONGER ACCOUNTABILITY: PRISONERS TO PAY FOR THEIR UPKEEPWe will introduce innovative methods and technologies to ensure that society doesn’t pay unduly for the upkeep of prisoners. In general, prisoners will be billed all costs of their upkeep. Where they have known resources and assets, payment will be required before they are released. For prisoners without any identifiable resources, the amount will be converted into a loan and recovered through the tax system.Wherever appropriate, prisoners will be required to serve the family or community they have harmed.1.5.6 MANDATORY IMPRISONMENT FOR GANG CRIMES AND VIOLENT SEXUAL CRIMESWe will enact mandatory minimum prison sentencing for gang crimes, violent or sexual offences against children, rape, robbery, murder, and all assaults involving serious injury to law enforcement officers. We will create a national registry for convicted child abusers so they can be readily tracked. Parole will be minimized for dangerous or repeat felons.1.5.7 STRONG LAWS AGAINST TORTUREDespite signing the Convention against Torture in 1997, India is yet to enact a law to ratify the treaty. We will introduce such a Bill at the earliest.1.5.8 REVIEW OF VICTIMLESS CRIMESUnder various victimless crime laws, people are punished even when they have not directly harmed anyone. Typically, this relates to dealing with, or consuming illegal drugs. In general, victimless crimes should not prompt punishment (even assuming that analysis demonstrates the value of such punishment) comparable with punishment for violent crime. We will review laws regarding victimless crimes for necessity, and where considered necessary, for appropriateness of punishment.1.5.9 SEXUAL ORIENTATION NOT A CRIMEWe object to Section 377 of the IPC, which criminalises homosexuality. This is proven to have a significant hereditary/ biological origin, and therefore is not only a matter of personal choice. We will abolish this ‘crime’, particularly also as it is victimless. Non-consensual gay sex will be captured by the normal provision regarding rape.We agree that gay couples that wish to live together in a marriage-like relationship, can legally and contractually do so. We also note that the state has a very limited role in determining the nature and form of marriage. To the extent customary, at present, this relationship will not be called marriage, to distinguish it from heterosexual marriage. The right to bring up adopted children will, however, not be available to this form of cohabitation, given the need to assess this issue further in the best interests of children. Such an evidence-based assessment, including extensive consultation with the community, will be commissioned in the second term of our government.1.5.10 ADULTERY NOT A CRIMINAL OFFENCESection 497 of the IPC, a provision drafted in the Victorian era, treats adultery as a crime, which can be complained against only by the husband and never by the wife. We will move adultery from a criminal into a civil offence. Adultery is a form of breach of trust and should remain a ground for divorce, but is not a criminal matter. All sexual acts between consenting adults will be removed from the IPC.1.5.11 REFORM OF CHILD PROTECTION, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND DOWRY LAWSMost marriage-related complaints in India are considered to be criminal in nature. This is inappropriate. Except for matters involving physical violence and abduction, all other marriage issues will be moved into civil law.While many women face an oppressive environment at home and domestic violence needs to be punished, enough evidence has now accumulated that s.498a of the IPC, which addresses domestic violence and dowry deaths, is often misused due to the absence of checks and balances and its inbuilt stereotypical assumptions about gender roles. But no assumption of guilt should be inbuilt into the law. We will make offences under s. 498a bailable and compoundable, and require that any party that files a false case be mandatorily imprisoned for a minimum of three months, with all legal costs borne by the party that filed the false case.Since India is not a signatory of Hague convention on Private International Law, any marriage-related dispute between a foreign and Indian citizen is dealt as per Indian law. Further, current laws are unclear about the rights of the other marriage partner when one spouse takes away the children without consent. We will legally endorse the international convention to ensure international standards for child protection.1.5.12 STRONG ANIMAL PROTECTION LAWSWe will review and strengthen existing laws for animal protection. Animals consumed as food should be killed in as painless a manner as the state of knowledge permits. International best practice currently requires stunning before killing large animals. We will make humane killing mandatory in all abattoirs, with transitional provisions for local butchers that currently use customary (often brutal) techniques. Punishment for repeated inhumane killing of animals can extend to jail. The laws will also apply to temples and other religious places, bringing an end to animal sacrifice that is not assisted by modern technology.1.5.13 MAKING LAWS ACCESSIBLE AND CLEAR, THUS SUPPORTING TRANSPARENCY1.5.13.1 LANGUAGE OF THE PEOPLE TO BE USEDWe will require the language of the people to be used in courts as far as ordinary civil and criminal matters are concerned.1.5.13.2 DEFINITIONS ACTAll legal definitions will be rationalised, stripped from existing legislation, and brought under a single Act. This will ensure consistency in the use of specific words in all legislation. All such terms will then be hyperlinked in electronic versions of the laws, so ordinary citizens can quickly identify their meaning.1.5.13.3 INDEXATION OF FINES, FEES AND PENALTIESWe will index fines, fees and penalties to the CPI. All such imposts will be converted into units, with the current unit values reflecting the changing value of the rupee.As part of this process, fines, fees and penalties that are set at outdated levels will be increased to reflect the current value environment, based also on cost recovery principles (with costs set at an efficient level).1.5.13.4 COMPUTERIZATION OF LAWS AND JURISPRUDENCEReady access to past judgements can help improve the quality of justice. In addition to computerization and publication of all relevant laws, all relevant jurisprudence will be digitised and published on the internet (making it fully searchable), to help improve the quality and speed of judgements. This would facilitate much shorter arguments and enable judgments to be expedited. More broadly, all modern technology will be actively used to support the justice system.1.5.13.5 TELECASTING COURT PROCEEDINGS ON CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERSExcept where matters of state security are involved, the Supreme Court will be required to telecast court proceedings on any Constitutional matter free of cost on social media and any private TV channel that wishes to broadcast these proceedings, so the people of India can better understand the framework and structure of our Constitution.1.5.14 REPEAL OF REDUNDANT LEGISLATIONA vast amount of irrelevant legislation remains on the Indian statute book. All laws, particularly pre-1947 laws will be reviewed for relevance and where found unnecessary, will be repealed within three years.1.6 Consumer protectionIt is bad business to be deceitful. ‘A habit of deceit is a mark of bad character, and bad character has a way of revealing itself no matter how cunning the individual. Deceit is both bad karma and bad business. Commerce [therefore] elevates manners and probity’. Information about a business’s character spreads across the society through gossip, newspapers and electronic media, legal case law, or even information that consumers may pay, for such as Consumer Reports in the USA. Strong business competition is a driver of good behaviour.However, there are cases where businesses cause a loss to buyers and either deny these losses, or ignore them, or themselves disappear. Such cases require specific action by the government. Where such losses are relatively minor, judicial remedy can be costly to everyone. We are committed to establishing a government led consumer protection agency that will deal with minor cases of misdemeanour by businesses and use persuasion and public shaming in cases of obvious damage. Where necessary, we will prosecute such businesses in the court of law on behalf of consumers.We will also regulate the minimal contractual requirements for various services so companies do not use the ‘fine print’ to exclude themselves from liability where they must take responsibility.