Another case of "I'm all for the right to bear arms, buuut"
A Navy Vet?s Case for Gun Control - The Daily Beast
These are the kind of people that really scare me. And I think they can do more to damage our rights than even MDA or Everytown, because these are actually gun owners and shooters calling for gun control. And the ever-present "it's for the children" BS.
Sorry, we have more than a few *******s.
If you feel, like the fringe gun lobby does, that my 6 year-old son's life is less important than your right to own whatever firearm and ammunition you want, then say that.
However, I believe that our society is overflowing with lethal weapons and that we must take action to prevent more dead kids.
Mass shootings are on the rise.
Children are dying. When will it be enough to actually do something?
Licensing, to be renewed every five years with full background checks and mental health screenings, is the first step.
Adding a checkbox to a driver's license and another form would make this easy to implement. My driver's license tells folks that I am a donor; it could very easily also indicate whether or not I am a gun owner or authorized to carry concealed firearms.
Before you tell me how I am violating your rights by proposing a record of gun owners, note that the constitution does not say that you have the right to bear arms and not tell anyone. We regulate chemicals, elevators, airplanes, and financial transactions—and none of those are specifically designed to kill anyone.
The next step is requiring 40 hours of training prior to license approval...The training hours should jump to 80 hours for a concealed carry permit.
I’m here to tell you that there is little value to having a firearm if one is cannot employ it tactically. I’m not saying we need owners to be trained to the level of Navy SEALs or SWAT teams, but if you claim to want these weapons to protect your home, then you should at least have a baseline knowledge.
This training should be done by the government to ensure consistency and quality control and should be covered by the tax on ammunition.
And finally, to pay for the licensing process and training as well as the background and mental health screenings, we can add a modest tax to ammunition sales (think five to ten cents per round—a manageable amount). This way, the costs are spread amongst those who wish to own guns.
Call your state senators, your assembly members, your mayors, and your city councils. Tell them that you want to protect your kids. You want to protect your communities. Hell, you want to protect yourself. Tell them that, with the stroke of a pen, they can improve safety for their constituents and side with the clear majority of Americans.
Another case of "I'm all for the right to bear arms, buuut"
A Navy Vet?s Case for Gun Control - The Daily Beast
These are the kind of people that really scare me. And I think they can do more to damage our rights than even MDA or Everytown, because these are actually gun owners and shooters calling for gun control. And the ever-present "it's for the children" BS.
Interesting that he says he has guns and wants to keep them, but apparently wants to take away everyone else's. As someone else up thread said, I'm not fully convinced; literally anyone can claim to be anything, especially with "stolen valor" laws being ruled unConstitutional, so forgive me if I don't believe the claims of being an instructor, owning guns, being a veteran, or for that matter, claims of masculinity.
In the simplest terms, if you want to bend over and spread your cheeks to take whatever a criminal (gov't or otherwise) wants to give you, that's your business. When you want to make me do the same, that's my business, and you may feel free to go fist yourself.
Take your "suggestions" elsewhere, they have no place in MY country.
Blessings,
Bill
Just kidding!
Of all the retired service members I personally know, the Navy guys seem to have their wits about them best. My cousin was a submarine guy back in the day. (80s)
Anyone who is man enough to get on a boat -- sorry, they always correct me, SHIP -- and cross the ocean kicks ass in my book. But I am just a land lubber, so what do I know!
And finally, to pay for the licensing process and training as well as the background and mental health screenings, we can add a modest tax to ammunition sales (think five to ten cents per round—a manageable amount).*This way, the costs are spread amongst those who wish to own guns.
Maybe a required class in High School for everyone. Reading Writing Arithmetic and Shooting. Everyone learns gun safety, how to shoot. That is what MDA wants, safety? Wouldn't that put their panties in a twist. Common Sense, the new Common Core.
I agree with him on training...I think all of us should take it upon ourselves to actively seek out good training and instruction.
And I can almost convince myself that some basic safety training should be part of the LTCH process. I think we've all seen enough mouth breathers at the range doing completely stupid stuff with guns (sweeping other shooters, poor trigger discipline, can't hit a pie plate at 7 yds) that it would almost convince me that some level of training could be applied to the licensing process.
Then actually, you *don't* agree with him on training, because he advocates state-mandated, state-run training. That's vastly different from voluntary training.
Except that, for all those mouth breathers, gun ownership is at an all-time high, and accidental gun deaths from negligent discharges are at an all-time low. So, state-mandated training would serve no public interest.
Do you also believe that you should have to go through training and licensing to practice your other Constitutionally-protected rights? Like free speech perhaps?
Unfortunately, I'm kind of in favor of folks having to have a license to practice free speech or voting.....
Do you also believe that you should have to go through training and licensing to practice your other Constitutionally-protected rights? Like free speech perhaps?
And I can almost convince myself that some basic safety training should be part of the LTCH process.
\I'll remind you what you said since you seem to have forgotten
Nope, which is why I wrote what I wrote. I think it is each individual's responsibility to seek out training, not the state's. In the same way it is our responsibility to be well versed in facts and issues so that when we exercise our 1A right, it is meaningful, and not just useless drivel.
Personally I think we are doing our community at large a great disservice if we automatically say "I don't need training to exercise my rights!" We shouldn't need training to do a lot of things in life, but unfortunately a few bad apples have managed to ruin it for all of us, and now we have to have mandatory training for just about everything we do in life.
Please make no mistake, I'm not out on the street corners advocating for government provided 40 hour training courses. Rather, I've seen how much better and safer I am as a shooter after I have voluntarily taken a number of courses and would love to see the gun owning community make that a priority.
I got some wise advise years ago on this forum when looking to buy another handgun to compliment the 1 that I already had and carried regularly. The advice was that for the price of the 2nd gun, I could afford a lot of training and ammunition to become proficient with the one I had vs. being at a very low level of proficiency with 2 guns.
The issue is, essentially, prior restraint versus holding accountable those who act in a culpably negligent manner or otherwise break the law.
Sure, everyone can *benefit* from training. But the State should have absolutely no involvement in that training when it involves a natural, constitutionally protected right - especially when there is ZERO evidence whatsoever that lack of State action causes an adverse impact on the public. The role of the State is only to hold accountable those who exercise a right in an unlawful manner.
So, I'm with you on preaching *voluntary* training. I'm with you on parents teaching their children. I didn't get much of that, but I'm making sure my kids do. And I'll certainly seek out more training for myself.
But fundamentally: I'm ultimately opposed to having to get a State-issued license/permit to exercise a natural, constitutional right in the first place.