Gun Control Reform Activism

My position on gun ownership:

As I live in a democracy, I have to support the current law as it stands in our democracy, But... If a referendum were presented on a ballot to make assault rifle ownership illegal again, I would vote to make them illegal. High capacity magazines, bump stocks, etc... as well.

When I was young, my first experiences with guns was the training that I received by a deputy sheriff who happened to be a friends father. We were 12 or 13 at the time. My friends father had given him a single shot bolt action .22 rifle. He insisted that we first learn how to properly and safely store the rifle and ammunition. We were instructed how to safely dismantle, clean, and re-assemble the rifle. We went through safety training weeks before we were ever able to shoot the rifle. We understood how dangerous the weapon was because we were trained to understand how dangerous it was. We were taught to respect, and to be responsible. I carry that information with me today.

After that training, I also went through the Indiana Hunters Association safety training program.

I once owned 3 weapons. 2 shotguns and a .22 caliber rifle. I sold my guns years ago and have only a 32" Louisville Slugger for protection in my home. I'm not an avid hunter today. I do my hunting exclusively in the meat section of the Piggly Wiggly.

I agree that as Americans, we should be allowed to own weapons. Not assault rifles or weapons that can kill many people in an instance. Not weapons that were created for the sole purpose of killing people. I strongly believe that if we, as Americans, continue to be allowed to own guns, we should be properly trained on how to be safe and responsible gun owners. We should also be willing to a strong background check before we're allowed to own a gun. We should also be willing to suffer the consequences if we fail to make our weapons safe - meaning that a weapon that is in our possession is used in such a way that is unsafe. Training should be mandatory, recurrent, and frequent.

The OP sounds as if he is a very well trained gun owner. Way beyond most. I feel very comfortable with his gun ownership. I'd feel very safe with him as a neighbor, co-worker, or an acquaintance who owns a gun. I can't say the same for pickup truck drivers with don't tread on me, come for my guns and I'll shoot you type of bumper stickers.

We've allowed our country to become a very unsafe place by allowing people to own weapons that they should never have been allowed to own. We've allowed our country to become a very unsafe place by allowing people to own weapons without proper safety training. We've also allowed our country to become a very unsafe place by allowing gun ownership by people who should never have been allowed to own a gun.