June 2nd is National Gun Violence Awareness Day. Great–another day for those liberal hippies to whine about how guns are bad, right? Well, I’m no hippie, but I’ll be wearing orange on June 2nd because I recognize that we have a problem in our country.
Before you write me off as another left-wing loon with no respect for or knowledge about guns, note that I am a 12-year veteran of conflicts all over the world. I protected oil platforms in Iraqi waters, fought pirates off the coast of East Africa, caught drug smugglers in Central America, and trained with foreign militaries across the globe. Since I left the Navy, I’ve become involved with myriad homeland security, emergency management, anti-terrorism, and other security organizations. Last November, I was elected Vice Chair of the San Diego Chapter of ASIS International, the world’s largest organization for security professionals. I am a proud gun owner–and that means I understand the need for appropriate training.
In order to carry a weapon while in the military, a service member must complete a series of requirements to qualify on each individual weapon. Aboard my first ship, I spent a lot more time on the shooting range than most other Sailors because I was in charge of the work center responsible for maintaining and repairing the weapons, as well as for training all of the Sailors at our unit in their employment. Even though I did that, I was still required to shoot a firearms qualification course and attend weapons familiarization training at least once a year.
How can we translate these best practices from the military to the civilian world? I think the solution looks something like a five-year cycle of training, background checks, and mental health screenings. Most of this process could even be done online from your tablet or smartphone. I’m not arguing that the federal government should come and take your guns or infringe on your constitutional rights, here. I just think it’s time for a simplified, standardized system to reduce unnecessary loss of life.
It should be a wakeup call to groups like the NRA that former President George H.W. Bush resigned his lifetime membership with their association. An overwhelming majority of their members–not to mention Americans around the country–support universal background checks. It’s time to get reasonable and responsible with respect to guns, and I can think of no better way to memorialize those we have lost to gun violence than starting a fresh conversation with a new, common sense proposal.
