A proposal to encourage responsible gun ownership.
The basic conflict between gun owners and those who would restrict access to guns is the increased risk that the widespread availability of guns impose on people who do not themselves own or wish to own guns. The laws that currently enable responsible gun owners to have guns also enable irresponsible people to obtain and misuse firearms. If a responsible and conscientious gun owner opposes more stringent regulation to keep firearms out of the hands of those who might abuse them, then he must accept that he bears partial responsibility for abuse when it does occur. His right comes at a cost to others. One person's right to own a Bushmaster compromises another person's right to send his kids off to school without constant anxiety for their well-being.
An alternative way to encourage more responsible gun ownership could be a system of collective accountability by the gun-owning community. My suggestion is that each gun owner should be required to be vouched for by 5 other gun owners. If a gun owner misuses a gun or allows a gun that he owns to be misused, the people who vouched for him would also be criminally and civilly liable for the misuse of that gun to a reduced, but non-trivial, extent.
People who vouched for other gun owners would then have a vested interest in keeping tabs on those owners- their attitude, circumstances, and behavior. If a person vouching for another gun owner changed his mind or moved out of the area, that would be documented and he would have to be replaced within a short period of time. Obviously, a gun owner who couldn't find or keep 5 people to share responsibility for his gun-ownership would have limitations on his ability to possess firearms.
I arbitrarily picked 5 as the number of people needed to vouch for another gun owner's good character and behavior. The number could be lower or higher. The number of people required to vouch for another person's gun ownership could also be variable, depending on circumstances, including the types of weapons owned and the geographical location.
The general idea is that the level of responsibility of gun ownership should be made commensurate with increased risk to the community as a whole that accompanies the right of gun ownership.
= new reply since forum marked as read
You are not billed for the right to speak.
Ok sir, you've got an approved 30 minute free speech license.
Or...
Okee dokee... One voucher for 30 days of protection from unreasonable search and seizure. You wouldn't be doing anything immoral would you? I think we are going to have to keep a closer eye on you.
It's for the greater good after all. 
