With the rise of school shootings in the United States, gun control has become the question on everyone’s minds. Specifically, the question of how something like a gun can be so easily obtained for so many people.
As it turns out, guns aren’t just easy to get in America. Getting your hands on one is actually easier to do than doing dozens of other things.
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Here are some things that are somehow more heavily regulated than purchasing a gun in America.
Setting off fireworks
You can’t just spontaneously decide you’re going to set off some fireworks at a backyard barbecue. You need a Federal Explosives license, and the application can be a nightmare to try and fill out. It’s long, tedious, and even involves being fingerprinted.
Buying birth control pills
Think you can just walk into a pharmacy and pick a pack of pills off a shelf? Think again. Girls and women need a prescription direct from their doctor in order to get their hands on contraceptive. (Oh, and since he took office, President Trump has been trying to make it even harder for women to get birth control because priorities .)
Adopting a pet
Have you tried adopting a pet lately? It’s almost the same process as adopting a child. The paperwork alone is insane, but then you have to go through an interview process, home visits, background checks, even more visits once you’ve already adopted the pet… I’m all for making sure these animals are going to good homes, but at some point we must be able to agree this is a bit excessive.
Cutting someone’s hair
Yes, in some states it’s actually easier to own a gun than it is to legally cut someone’s hair. For instance, in the state of Arizona, you need a license to cut hair but no license to carry a weapon .
Buying milk
Raw milk runs the risk of containing parasites, bacteria, and viruses which could lead to serious illness if ingested . Right now, there are currently 20 states which have outlawed the sale of raw milk for human consumption. This is understandable because raw milk is so dangerous for humans.
Guns? Nah, those are fine.
Recycling dead batteries
Some states actually have super strict laws about recycling your used batteries. For example, in West Virginia it’s illegal to dispose of acid batteries in a solid waste landfill.
Holding a bake sale
If you want to raise money by selling some delicious baked goods, you may have to jump through a lot of hoops depending on where you live. Several states have pretty strict Federal nutrition laws that must be adhered to in order for the bake sale to take place.
Selling a secondhand mattress
It’s not as easy as just jumping online and posting a picture. There are mattress resale laws and regulations that could prevent you from getting rid of that mattress, particularly if it doesn’t have a tag on it.
Buying cold medicine
There are some cold medicine brands that are offered right off the shelf, but others require you to verify your identity AND sign a log book. This is for medicines like certain kinds of Sudafed which contain pseudoephedrine.
Importing foreign cheese
Much like the deal with raw milk, other dairy products must adhere to strict food safety laws within the US, so bringing in foreign cheese might be a lot harder than you’d expect.
You actually need a permit from the FDA in order to import milk and cream products into America.
Having an abortion
This is a particularly timely one, since so many American states have recently enacted “heartbeat” abortion bans or, in the case of Alabama, a near-total abortion ban. But, in case you didn’t know, it’s easier to buy a gun in America than make a decision regarding your own body if you’re a woman.
Getting your luggage on an airplane
Guns are whatever, but don’t you dare even think about bringing a water bottle in your carry-on bag onto that plane.
Hunting and fishing
It’s actually harder to obtain your hunting and/or fishing license than it is to obtain a firearm. Most state processes for the aforementioned licenses require your Social Security Number, and some can even deny giving you your license if you haven’t been paying child support.
No such rules for guns, though.
Selling lemonade
Many areas of the country have strict food regulations set in place for food vendors, like Iowa which considers lemonade stands to be food vendors and therefore typically enforces that those running one must have a business license.
Gun vendors don’t need state licenses to sell guns.
Eating peanut butter
Because of the severity of some students’ peanut allergies, most schools have banned allowing peanut butter or any foods containing peanuts inside the doors. There are more precautions taken to keep peanut butter outside of schools than there are to keep guns out.
Drinking alcohol
In America, a person has to be at least the age of 21 before they can legally purchase and drink alcohol. However, some states let people as young as 16 legally buy a gun.
Bringing a dog into a restaurant
In all 50 states, the FDA prohibits dogs from entering a restaurant. Alternatively, 49 states allow citizens to carry a firearm in public . You can bring you gun into an Arby’s but don’t you dare try and bring a dog inside one. It’s unsafe.
Getting a cellphone contract
When you go to buy a new phone, wireless carriers will require you to show your Social Security Number before allowing you to be set up on any sort of phone plan. You don’t need to do this in order to buy a gun.
Walking your dog
Different states have different leash laws , some much more strict than others. Some specify when a dog should be leashed by location (such as in a park or on the street) while others go by the time of day, like between sunset and sunrise.
Eating a Kinder Egg
Welcome to America where people have the right carry a gun in public but legally can’t eat a chocolate egg .
Because the eggs have a toy inside, which is a choking hazard, the candy has been banned from the country. This dates back to a law set in 1930 that says any food with a “non-nutritive object embedded” is illegal.
