--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think we should have a very, very heavy…" description: "\"I think we should have a very, very heavy tax on handguns and on bullets.\" — Joycelyn Elders" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/joycelyn-elders-12167_amendment_i-think-we-should-have-a-very-very-heavy_436355.png" --- # I think we should have a very, very heavy tax on handguns… ![“I think we should have a very, very heavy tax on handguns and on bullets.” quote by Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/joycelyn-elders-12167_amendment_i-think-we-should-have-a-very-very-heavy_436355.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/joycelyn-elders-12167_amendment_i-think-we-should-have-a-very-very-heavy_436355.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/joycelyn-elders-12167_amendment_i-think-we-should-have-a-very-very-heavy_436355.png) > “I think we should have a very, very heavy tax on handguns and on bullets.” [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates imposing high taxes on firearms and ammunition to deter ownership and reduce gun violence. **In simple terms:** Heavy taxes on guns and bullets could lower gun violence. Key Takeaway Consider fiscal policies to curb gun access. Themes public health policy gun control Mood concerned urgent Type policy advocacy When to use this quote - legislative debate - public health campaigns - community safety initiatives Key Concepts taxation deterrence violence prevention Questions to Reflect On - How effective are taxes in reducing illegal gun sales? - What alternative measures could complement taxation? A Different Perspective Taxation alone may not address illegal markets or cultural factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amendment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amendment/) [Handguns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/handguns/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I think it is a great error to consider a heavy tax on wines as a tax on luxury. On the contrary, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/i-think-it-is-a-great-error-to-consider-a-heavy-tax-on-wines-as-a-tax/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Political liberty, the peace of a nation, and science itself are gifts for which Fate demands a heavy tax in blood!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/political-liberty-the-peace-of-a-nation-and-science-itself-are-gifts/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [Handguns are a public health issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/handguns-are-a-public-health-issue/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [I support a total ban on handgun ownership for anyone under eighteen. Uzis should be absolutely banned from entering this country. Automatic weapons of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/i-support-a-total-ban-on-handgun-ownership-for-anyone-under-eighteen/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [I want to make it as hard as possible. Gun owners would have to be evaluated by how they scored on written and firing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/i-want-to-make-it-as-hard-as-possible-gun-owners-would-have-to-be/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [They may have turned this up, whether you had the Paula Jones case or not. But again maybe not, but again that's like if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/they-may-have-turned-this-up-whether-you-had-the-paula-jones-case-or/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [The debut show, “Second Lives: Remixing the Ordinary,” is supposed to be about how artists reuse humble or unusual materials. There’s good work here,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-saltz/the-debut-show-second-lives-remixing-the-ordinary-is-supposed-to-be/) [Jerry Saltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-saltz/) > [The rifle and handgun are 'equalizers' -- the weapons of a democracy. Tanks and bombers represent dictatorship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/the-rifle-and-handgun-are-equalizers-the-weapons-of-a-democracy-tanks/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [ ... immediately call on Congress to pass far-reaching industry regulation like the Firearms Safety and Consumer Protection Act ... \[which\] would give the Treasury… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-sugarmann/immediately-call-on-congress-to-pass-far-reaching-industry-regulation/) [Josh Sugarmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-sugarmann/) > [Handguns are a public-health problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-sugarmann/handguns-are-a-public-health-problem/) [Josh Sugarmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-sugarmann/) > [College is like a woman: you work so hard to get in, and nine months later you wish you'd never come. We used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/college-is-like-a-woman-you-work-so-hard-to-get-in-and-nine-months/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [I have a smoke grenade in my room," I said. "What?" Megan asked. "How?" "I grew up working at a munitions plant," I said.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-have-a-smoke-grenade-in-my-room-i-said-what-megan-asked-how-i-grew/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [Because war and preparations for war have acquired legitimacy, and because of the tremendous proliferation of arms through production and export, so that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alva-myrdal/because-war-and-preparations-for-war-have-acquired-legitimacy-and/) [Alva Myrdal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alva-myrdal/) > [We are at the point in time and terror where nothing short of a strong uniform policy of domestic disarmament will alleviate the danger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-v-murphy/we-are-at-the-point-in-time-and-terror-where-nothing-short-of-a/) Patrick V. Murphy > [I think we have two conflicting traditions in this country. I think it's important for us to recognize that we've got a tradition of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-we-have-two-conflicting-traditions-in-this-country-i-think-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More by Joycelyn Elders > [The best contraceptive in the world is a good education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/the-best-contraceptive-in-the-world-is-a-good-education/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [Once I had a professor say to me, "You know you have as much education as a lot of white people." I answered, "Doctor,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/once-i-had-a-professor-say-to-me-you-know-you-have-as-much-education/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [Handguns are a public health issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/handguns-are-a-public-health-issue/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [ \[On masturbation:\] I think that it is part of human sexuality, and perhaps it should be taught. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/on-masturbation-i-think-that-it-is-part-of-human-sexuality-and/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [“We have a multiheaded dragon in our midst that for too long has been waging a domestic war on our young, our poor, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/we-have-a-multiheaded-dragon-in-our-midst-that-for-too-long-has-been/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [... black women have always found that in the social order of things we're the least likely to be believed--by anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/black-women-have-always-found-that-in-the-social-order-of-things-we/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [You can't keep an ignorant population healthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/you-can-t-keep-an-ignorant-population-healthy/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [Everybody's got to die from somethin'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/everybody-s-got-to-die-from-somethin/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [ \[We must\] deal with all of the contributing factors to gun violence as a whole, because it's like a leaky bucket - if you've… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/we-must-deal-with-all-of-the-contributing-factors-to-gun-violence-as/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [You can't educate people that are not healthy. But you certainly can't keep them healthy if they're not educated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/you-can-t-educate-people-that-are-not-healthy-but-you-certainly-can-t/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [As long as I was in Washington I never met anybody that I thought was good enough, who knew enough, or who loved enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/as-long-as-i-was-in-washington-i-never-met-anybody-that-i-thought-was/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [I came there as prime steak and now I feel like low-grade hamburger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/i-came-there-as-prime-steak-and-now-i-feel-like-low-grade-hamburger/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [Health is more than the absence of disease. Health is about jobs and employment, education, the environment, and all of those things that go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/health-is-more-than-the-absence-of-disease-health-is-about-jobs-and/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [Health is more than absence of disease; it is about economics, education, environment, empowerment, and community. The health and well being of the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/health-is-more-than-absence-of-disease-it-is-about-economics/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [You can't educate a child who isn't healthy, and you can't keep a child healthy who isn't educated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/you-can-t-educate-a-child-who-isn-t-healthy-and-you-can-t-keep-a/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) [Explore all 56 Joycelyn Elders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) ## More Amendment quotes > [There are a lot of people who want to retain the Eighth Amendment - I don't agree with that view myself - there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-varadkar/there-are-a-lot-of-people-who-want-to-retain-the-eighth-amendment-i/) [Leo Varadkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-varadkar/) > [“Let's just make this easy. I'm in favor of a Constitutional amendment that would read something like this: 'Neither the federal government, nor any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-boortz/let-s-just-make-this-easy-i-m-in-favor-of-a-constitutional-amendment/) [Neal Boortz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-boortz/) > [If you reduce the guns and the ammo, you'll reduce the murders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/if-you-reduce-the-guns-and-the-ammo-you-ll-reduce-the-murders/) [Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/) > [Gun control laws don't work. What is worse, they act perversely. While legitimate users of firearms encounter intense regulation, scrutiny and bureaucratic control, illicit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-d-polsby/gun-control-laws-don-t-work-what-is-worse-they-act-perversely-while/) Daniel D. 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They feel that it makes their profession too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/the-proliferation-of-right-to-carry-laws-throughout-the-states-has/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) > [Gun violence has cost us too many political leaders, and hardly ever the worst ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/gun-violence-has-cost-us-too-many-political-leaders-and-hardly-ever/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I don't think anybody who carries a rifle carries the future. 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