Thoughts on Gun Safety Legislation
It has been...
23 years since Columbine.
15 years since Virginia Tech. 10 years since Sandy Hook.
7 years since Charleston.
4 years since Parkland and Santa Fe and Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.
3 years since El Paso.
1 year since 10 killed in Boulder; and 6 killed in Colorado Springs.
1 month since we learned that gun violence can reach any of our children and grandchildren at any time and that no number of armed guards can guarantee their safety.
Since Uvalde, if you follow me on Facebook, you'll know that I have been providing my own simplified form of journalism where I write near-daily, synthesized summaries of political news (and often related to gun safety legislation). Even with all of that, I still found myself at a loss of an answer to gun violence that could help protect Americans from this self-inflicted epidemic.
So I did what I do best...I simply talked to the people. I'm a City Councilor in a largely conservative city, so I tried to crowdsource a solution from the residents I serve. To my delight, an incredible idea dropped into my inbox when a resident reached out to me with an idea he had been cultivating and consulting with Marines. His name is Alec Ross. Here is the idea:
Licensing, along with a mental health evaluation, should be required for each class of gun. One certification for rifles, one for pistols, and one for shotguns.
A minimum 50 hours of instruction time, which could be fulfilled with instructors who are certified as qualified shooting instructors. Those 50 hours of class time are enough for an instructor to see if someone is a potential threat or problem.
After that, a 28-day waiting period should be instated for all gun purchases. People who aren’t in a hurry don’t mind waiting.
Then an annual renewal for such licensing, which could include a 4-hr continued education course.
I love this idea, wholeheartedly, and without reservation. As Alec says, "I had to get a license to work on elevators. My wife had to get a license to cut hair. There’s no reason you shouldn’t need a license to own and operate a gun." I think this is a solution that respects the second amendment while also professionalizing the access which should inherently take guns out of the hands of bad actors.
If our government had more political courage, ideas like this (and many others) could become reality. It won't be easy - but transformative legislation is not supposed to be easy. It will take building coalitions and skillful influence; these are some of the standards we must begin to hold our electeds accountable to. Until then, please reach out to me if you have other great ideas on solving this thorny issue.