{"id":582,"date":"2015-07-16T16:06:12","date_gmt":"2015-07-16T20:06:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/beemandave.com\/beemanblog\/?p=582"},"modified":"2023-04-21T19:03:34","modified_gmt":"2023-04-21T23:03:34","slug":"guns-in-the-house-guns-in-the-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beemandave.com\/beemanblog\/blog\/2015\/07\/16\/guns-in-the-house-guns-in-the-house\/","title":{"rendered":"Guns in the house!  Guns in the House!"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beemandave.com\/beemanblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/taurus-pt-1911-cal45-acp-occasion_8666.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-581\" src=\"https:\/\/beemandave.com\/beemanblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/taurus-pt-1911-cal45-acp-occasion_8666-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"taurus-pt-1911-cal45-acp-occasion_8666.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beemandave.com\/beemanblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/taurus-pt-1911-cal45-acp-occasion_8666-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/beemandave.com\/beemanblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/taurus-pt-1911-cal45-acp-occasion_8666.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Greetings and Salutations!<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Boy, time flies&#8230;.I am apologetic for the slow updates, \u00a0but, between struggling with some health issues, \u00a0and, my CDO need to make sure that every post on Facebook is truthful, \u00a0 There are only so many minutes in the day.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0I am sorry to record here that America appears to be at a social cusp, \u00a0where the two major issues of Bigotry, and Gun Control are causing much stress and strain. \u00a0 I cannot deal with the first issue here, \u00a0as that is a HUGE topic. \u00a0 However, \u00a0I am motivated to write a bit on the latter \u00a0issue&#8230;. \u00a0recently a new \u00a0study was published examining the issue of carrying a gun for &#8220;personal protection&#8221;. \u00a0 \u00a0the link to the story is\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thetrace.org\/2015\/07\/defensive-gun-use-armed-with-reason-hemenway\/\">HERE<\/a>. \u00a0I have to say that it seems to me to be a relatively even handed and objective bit of research. \u00a0 The fact that I pretty much agree with its findings has little to do with my review, though! \u00a0 I find it interesting that <i>one <\/i>of its conclusions is that it is far safer to attempt to escape from the situation than to meet an attacker with a gun or other weapon. \u00a0 This is a lesson that ALL Martial Artists learn early on in their delving into the dicipline. \u00a0 The goal that is installed in them is &#8220;do the minimum amount to allow one to escape&#8230;then leave, as quickly as possible&#8221; \u00a0 \u00a0 I also find it interesting that there appears to be no significant difference in success, no matter what weapon is used. \u00a0Whether it is a gun, or a baseball bat, or a knife, \u00a0 the success results are all very close to each other.. \u00a0 \u00a0There are also some other interesting, earlier reports and reviews linked to from the above report. \u00a0I recommend reading them too. \u00a0 Not to digress too far, but I have some observations \u00a0about these other studies and \u00a0reports that I wanted to touch on. \u00a0Most of my remarks are somewhat critical of the reports&#8230;as I do not agree with their techniques entirely.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<ul>\n<li>The studies referenced \u00a0focus on incidents where a gun was involved in conflict. \u00a0 They are less useful I believe, for setting policy, because they ignore the far larger number of guns owned by Citizens that are NEVER raised in anger or fear. \u00a0 So&#8230;in short, \u00a0they are looking at ONE facet of the issue of gun ownership in America.<\/li>\n<li>In some of the subsidiary studies (and the reviews by the authors of those reports), \u00a0we are presented with some horrific anecdotes about gun owners who injured or killed totally innocent people because they felt threatened, somehow. \u00a0 \u00a0To me, each one of these tales, as well as \u00a0the recent spate of kids killing others with guns they found in their parent&#8217;s house, \u00a0all show a serious lack of focus on education in America&#8217;s gun control laws. \u00a0Later on, I will address this a bit more.<\/li>\n<li>I am concerned that the anti-gun folks out there will attempt to use this report to &#8220;prove&#8221; that guns are a scourge that should be taken out of the hands of Citizens, and only issued to &#8220;legal authorities&#8221;. \u00a0 Now, I have spoken about how well prohibition has worked in America, so I will just refer y&#8217;all to the 18th and 21st Amendments as apt reminders of that &#8220;success&#8221;. \u00a0 Another example, of course, \u00a0 would be the \u00a0War On Drugs in America<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0I am quite willing to admit that Americans have a &#8220;Gun Problem&#8221;. \u00a0 However, \u00a0I disagree with what that problem is, and how to correct it. \u00a0 Because I am tickled by bullet lists (in this context), \u00a0I am going to do it again!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>I respect and agree 100% with the Constitution, and, of course, the 2d Amendment. \u00a0 I also agree with the recent SCOTUS ruling that found that the 2d Amendment DID allow Americans to purchase (almost) any weaponry they want to have. \u00a0 \u00a0Who would I remove that ability from? \u00a0 \u00a0Not a complicated issue&#8230;.Pretty much anyone that has proven, by multiple actions, that they are a danger to society and themselves if they are allowed to have a weapon. \u00a0 This would include Violent felons convicted of multiple crimes, \u00a0including LEOs, \u00a0and folks that have shown that they do not have the mental capacity to handle a weapon safely. \u00a0 What weapons would I keep from the public? \u00a0 \u00a0That is a little harder to answer, but, for the moment, I am going to go with guns that fire 100mm shells or larger, \u00a0weapons of mass destruction, etc.<\/li>\n<li>Since (so far) most Americans do not fall into either of the \u00a0categories of violent felon, or psychologically unstable, \u00a0I asked myself what would I propose \u00a0as a way to allow Citizens the freedom allowed by the Constitution, and yet, cut down on the likelihood of terrible accidents and emotion-fueled killings and woundings? \u00a0 I came up with the following&#8230;.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Create a Federal &#8220;Driver&#8217;s License&#8221; program for gun ownership. \u00a0This would, I believe, make a huge difference in the way guns are owned and used in the USA. \u00a0Now&#8230;how would this work. \u00a0 Here is what I have come up with:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>I would create a program based on the model of the Driver&#8217;s License. \u00a0 This would ensure that people who own a weapon have a significant level of training in its proper use. \u00a0 It would also, I believe, \u00a0filter out many of the &#8220;impulse purchases&#8221; \u00a0based on fear or lies, \u00a0that tend to produce any of the unhappy stories listed in the media, and these studies.<\/li>\n<li>This program would require anyone interested in purchasing a weapon to go to an authorized agency, and receive a significant amount of training in the proper use, transport and storage of a weapon. \u00a0 Like a DL, \u00a0this would include both written tests demonstrating knowledge of proper techniques, and range time to ensure that the person would have some actual experience in what shooting a gun entails. \u00a0 I would NOT require that the applicant purchase or have a weapon. \u00a0As a part of the course, \u00a0 the agency could provide several calibers of weapons to use.<\/li>\n<li>I can see the course taking anywhere from 15 to 20 hours, if we want to do a thorough job. \u00a0 The written exam should include the basics of using a weapon &#8211; in no particular order, \u00a0<b>Treat every gun as loaded;<\/b> Identify your target clearly; \u00a0Always keep the weapon pointed in a safe direction; \u00a0keep the weapon clean; \u00a0 do not keep the weapon loaded and ready to fire&#8230;etc. \u00a0 The range work would involve shooting at a variety of targets with at least four different weapons. \u00a0 I would suggest a .22 handgun and a larger handgun &#8211; .357\/.45, \u00a0etc; \u00a0 Then, \u00a0move to a rifle. \u00a0 This could just be a larger caliber, or perhaps, as with the handguns, \u00a0a couple of calibers. \u00a0 Finally, \u00a0a shotgun. \u00a0 \u00a0In a really good program, \u00a0 I could even see a walk-through type arena, with flip-out targets, to give the potential owner a real feel for the sort of quick decision making necessary.<\/li>\n<li>The cost of the license should be around that of a DL, \u00a0and, should be good for a number of years &#8211; say&#8230;five years or so..<\/li>\n<li>Also, as a part of this certification procedure, \u00a0 the state would provide a complete background check of the person requesting the license.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote style=\"margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;\">\n<ul>\n<li>I see a number of benefits to this plan.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<ul>\n<li>This would, as mentioned earlier, \u00a0ensure that everyone getting a weapon would have some serious training on how to use it, and the effects it can have on a target.<\/li>\n<li>It could be used to simplify the background check for a gun purchase. \u00a0 A photo ID showing that the person has knowledge, and a number that can be looked up would remove a lot of complications.<\/li>\n<li>It would make it difficult for anyone to know what weaponry the holder had. \u00a0 As with a DL, \u00a0it would be quite OK for a citizen to walk in without owning a single weapon, and perhaps even with NO intent of owning a weapon, \u00a0and get some good information on the reality of gun ownership. \u00a0 Other than a record of background checks that would accumulate, \u00a0there would be no count of what weapons had been purchased, without some intervention by the courts. \u00a0Issuing a search warrent should be the FIRST thing that happens before this information can be gathered.<\/li>\n<li>without a license, \u00a0legally purchasing a gun MIGHT be possible, but it could be made a more lengthy and difficult process&#8230;perhaps even requiring that the purchaser bring in documentation to prove they have the appropriate training for their desired weapon, and would require a longer waiting period, while a background check is run by the state.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0I mentioned before that \u00a0we have seen some pretty sad stories of kids finding a weapon, playing with it, and wounding or killing another person. \u00a0 We also have a number of examples of home owners who have &#8220;defended their property&#8221; \u00a0and have mistakenly killed an innocent person. \u00a0 Shooting a person and taking their life is neither a joke nor a trivial event. \u00a0Although we see it hundreds of times every day on television shows, \u00a0 the fact of the matter is that every time a person kills another living being (whether human or animal) \u00a0it affects our soul. \u00a0We need to be VERY attentive to that fact and NOT casually injury or kill another.. \u00a0 \u00a0Anything that we can do to minimize that karmic burden is a Good Thing.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Now&#8230;let me recount a tale from my past about this business of purchasing a gun for &#8220;personal protection&#8221;. \u00a0 \u00a0Some years ago (more than I care to think about), \u00a0I had a friend, whose mother&#8217;s house was broken into while she was away for the day. \u00a0 She came back to find the door broken open and various items gone. \u00a0 I suspected at the time it was a junkie, \u00a0because the things that were taken were items that could be pawned easily &#8211; Television, \u00a0some other small \u00a0electronics, \u00a0some jewelry, \u00a0etc. \u00a0 \u00a0Well, \u00a0Mom was really upset by this, as she is a very nice woman, and found it difficult \u00a0imagine this sort of thing happening. \u00a0 It did not help at all when the cops interviewing her said that she likely got back within moments of the thief leaving the house!<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0I was out at their house a bit after this, \u00a0visiting, and so got to hear the whole tale. \u00a0Also, it turned out that Mom was so rattled about the event and the fact she might have confronted the thieves, that she and I talked for some time about buying a gun for &#8220;self protection&#8221;. \u00a0 \u00a0She knew that I was fairly familiar with gun use, and went to the range off and on. \u00a0(yes&#8230;I suppose at the time, I could be qualified as an actul &#8220;gun nut&#8221;.) \u00a0 In any case, \u00a0 she wanted to run out that day and pick up a pistol. \u00a0 I put the brakes on that, though, \u00a0and told her that while I totally supported her desire to own a gun, \u00a0I would only help out if she would play by my rules. \u00a0 She was interested, \u00a0so, I went on to say that first off, \u00a0we were going to schedule a day where we could go out to the home range a friend of mine had, \u00a0so she could actually hold, and fire a variety of weapons. \u00a0 She had, of course, never held or fired a weapon in her life! \u00a0 \u00a0Then, she and I would go through (essentially) the training program I mentioned above. \u00a0 As a part of the range time, I was going to set up some watermelons and cantelopes, \u00a0so she could see exactly how much power the bullet had.<\/div>\n<div>&#8230;..She and I went on to talk about the issues involved in shooting another person, and whether or not she could, when push came to shove, point that weapon and pull the trigger. \u00a0 \u00a0Just as an example, \u00a0I had her make a gun with her hand, \u00a0cock her thumb back, \u00a0and point it at my chest. \u00a0 After emphasizing that she was to think of her hand as a real gun and believe that as strongly as possible. \u00a0I said &#8220;Ok&#8230;now pull the trigger three times and try to hit the center of my chest&#8221;. \u00a0 That was a sobering moment for her, as even though it was just her hand, she could not do it. \u00a0Well, \u00a0we never went to the range, \u00a0but did pretty much decide that the next time she drove up to the house and thought it looked off -door open, etc &#8211; she would call the cops BEFORE going inside.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0To reach back to my comments about the tragic stories listed in these reports, \u00a0 In every case that I have seen reported, \u00a0 the person that owned \u00a0the gun had broken at least two or three of the basic rules of firearms safety. \u00a0 They had stored their guns insecurely; \u00a0The gun was left in an unsafe condition (ready to fire with a round in the chamber); \u00a0 They had failed to identify their target properly; \u00a0They had decided that an attack was better than retreat. \u00a0 \u00a0 These folks have to live with the knowledge that they took a life that did not deserve to go, \u00a0and in the process damaged themselves and the friends and family of their victim(s). \u00a0 That is a heavy burden, even if one wishes to ignore it.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 thanks for your time and attention&#8230;.Comments are welcome, of course!<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Bee Man Dave.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Greetings and Salutations! \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Boy, time flies&#8230;.I am apologetic for the slow updates, \u00a0but, between struggling with&#8230; <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/beemandave.com\/beemanblog\/blog\/2015\/07\/16\/guns-in-the-house-guns-in-the-house\/\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22,6,7,9,10,12,16],"tags":[157,484,318,485],"class_list":["post-582","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ethics","category-general","category-heath","category-humanity","category-nuttiness","category-politics-2","category-ruminations","tag-gun-control","tag-licensing","tag-society","tag-violence"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beemandave.com\/beemanblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/582","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beemandave.com\/beemanblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beemandave.com\/beemanblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beemandave.com\/beemanblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beemandave.com\/beemanblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=582"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/beemandave.com\/beemanblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/582\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9717,"href":"https:\/\/beemandave.com\/beemanblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/582\/revisions\/9717"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beemandave.com\/beemanblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=582"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beemandave.com\/beemanblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=582"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beemandave.com\/beemanblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}