There IS a Middle Ground. We’re Not All Whack Jobs.

***The only thing I ask on this one is that you hear me out to the end. This is a difficult thing to discuss because it’s such a polarizing topic, and I almost didn’t post this, but I put on my Brave Hat and here it is. I will happily answer any questions you may have to the best of my ability.***

Okay, let’s talk about something that’s been in the news this week. Normally I keep politics, religion, and current events well out of this thing, but I have a horse in this particular race, and I’m sick and tired of being silent because of the threat of instant vilification for sticking my neck out and saying:

I am a gun owner.

You read that correctly. I own firearms. I know a number of you who read this know me personally, and you may not have known that fact. There is a reason for this. I am fully aware that I have a ‘hot-button hobby’. I usually only discuss it with people who have a) known me since time immemorial, or, b) share the interest. This is because I know guns make people uncomfortable, and as a basically decent human being, making my friends and acquaintances uncomfortable is pretty high up on the list of ‘Things I Don’t Like to Do’.

Let’s start with a little history, shall we? My maternal grandfather served in the United States Navy in WWII and Korea as a Gunners Mate (First Class at time of honorable discharge). This is where he initially learned the trade of gunsmithing. Post-Navy, he worked in the automobile industry for a number of years, then returned to gunsmithing later in life and worked at that until he couldn’t any more. Firearms have always figured in my life. I was taught to respect them, how to handle them safely, and, as I got older, how to operate them.

Shooting is a hobby. I mostly shoot shotgun sports like trap, and occasionally skeet or sporting clays. More recently, I’ve forayed into fixed targets with handguns and rifles.

My firearms were all acquired legally, and they and their corresponding ammunition are stored and maintained in compliance with applicable regulations.

I follow the rules.

I have no intention of doing harm to anyone.

I don’t even hunt. I took the hunter’s safety course as a teenager, passed the test, and was duly licensed, but I could never bring myself to actually take the life of an animal. To this day, I am strictly a target shooter.

Now, this last week, yet another school shooting was perpetrated. This is bullshit. It. Should. Not. Happen. Somewhere, the system is broken. I’m no law expert, so I won’t even begin to try to fathom where the disconnect is, but it is abundantly clear that the regulations currently in place are insufficient for keeping firearms out of the hands of persons intent on doing harm.

Do I think the solution to this is to do away with firearms completely? No, I don’t.

Do I think the solution to this is stronger and more enforceable regulations? Yes, I do.

There are so many solutions being offered by gun owners like myself (!) who are suddenly — finally — speaking up to say, “Hi, we’re here, we exist, and we want to find a reasonable solution. Here are our ideas.” They vary in stringency and application, but the consensus is that we’re sick and tired of a few zealous assholes absconding with the focus of this discussion.

We’ve had it.

We’re tired of being vilified the instant we say we own and appreciate firearms, but we’re also finished allowing the fear of vilification to keep us quiet. I’ve encountered more like-minded individuals in the last week than I ever have before in the whole of my life, and that is affirming and comforting. For a long time I’ve felt like the lone voice in the wilderness, except I was the lone voice that didn’t actually say anything for fear of the backlash.

It’s that whole rock vs. hard place thing.

So, here’s my two cents regarding firearms regulations in general. Do with it what you will.

You know that whole driver’s ed/driving test/driving license/car registration/smog checking/maintenance thing? That’s a pretty solid model. We’ve been using it for a very long time. Here’s a novel idea: Why not apply it to the ownership of firearms? No one really does that much bitching about doing it for their cars, so why not? I mean, some sort of every-other-year-like-a-smog-test safe firearms handling exam is really just another opportunity to go to the range and shoot, which is the fun part.

Longer waiting periods to be able to take your new firearm home from the dealer? Not really as big a deal as some people have tantrums about.

More stringent background checks? Um, yes, please.

More stringent penalties for persons found not complying with registration regulations? DUH.

No one but law enforcement and military personnel needs a higher capacity magazine than ten rounds. Period. End of discussion. That is plenty for range shooting, which is the only kind of shooting (besides hunting) that a hobbyist should be doing. (Also, if you’re hunting with a military-style rifle, you’re doing it wrong. It doesn’t make you a badass. It makes you a dumbass.)

I will readily admit that I am on the fence about the banning of firearms like the AR-15. If we can get the regulations and enforcement right, we shouldn’t have to. However, I will say that if and when they are banned, I will surrender mine without hesitation. My hobby is not worth more than the pursuit of the preservation of human lives. There is a subgroup who believe that no civilian should have a military-grade weapon for hobby purposes, and I certainly see their point. Military-grade weapons — and all firearms — are manufactured with a sole purpose: to end a life. You cannot argue that that isn’t the primary function of a gun. Is the AR-15 fun to shoot and simple to handle? Absolutely. That also makes them alluring to the jerkoffs who decide to go out and take lives — and that is a major tally mark in the ‘Cons’ section.

I feel the need to note that the only reason I have an AR in the first place is because it was meant to be a sort of bonding project with an ex-boyfriend (a military veteran) — we were planning to build them together. After we split, I had all these parts sitting around, and I thought, “Well, why not?” So I built it. By myself. It was a fun, interesting, challenging project, and I am proud of the result. I can look at it and say “I did that.” That’s not nothing. But it’s also not something I need to have. It does not define me in any way. I have no particular sentimental attachment to it, as I do to some of my other firearms because they were reworked by my grandfather who passed away last year, and they were his legacy to me. (If I am ever forced to surrender my Remington 1100 12-gauge, I will actually cry. That is a fact.)

Let’s not even start on the other big problem facing legislation change for firearms — the private interests trying to sway things in the political arena. The NRA gives me a case of the screaming heebie-jeebies. They don’t have my interests at heart. I don’t think they even have their interests at heart, or that they know what the interests are that they’re trying to protect apart from SHOOT ALL THE THINGS WITH ALL THE THINGS BECAUSE SECOND AMENDMENT. I’m not sure there’s a heart to be found there. I bet on NRA poker nights they only use three-quarters of the deck.

Look, I could keep going on this topic for ages, but this post is getting long so I’ll spare you and instead wrap up with a concise-ish list of ‘Elizabeth’s Personal Thoughts and Feelings About Firearms’:

1. There are rules. FUCKING FOLLOW THEM AND STOP WHINING. Gun ownership is a PRIVILEGE, 2nd amendment or no.
2. Firearms are, in essence, very dangerous toys. I do not say ‘toys’ to be flippant. They are not necessary to life for the vast majority of people. It is highly unlikely that you NEED to have one of any variety. Do you own a ranch in Colorado and have to keep predators away from your cattle to protect your livelihood? Then you, my friend, NEED a firearm. Do you live in suburbia with low crime statistics and within reasonable distance of a police station? You do not NEED a firearm. You can have them for recreational purposes within the confines of THE RULES noted in #1 above.
3. When you own or handle a firearm, KEEP IN MIND THAT YOU ARE DEALING WITH A MACHINE SPECIFICALLY CONSTRUCTED TO KILL. Think about the implications of that statement. DON’T FUCK AROUND.
4. “Ban everything” and “ban nothing” are not viable models for gun control. A middle ground needs to be forged. Are you someone who thinks about this issue in a similar fashion to me? Great! Talk about it. Get evangelical, whatever floats your boat. AND FUCKING VOTE. We’ve been silent on the sidelines too long.
5. Even if you don’t own firearms, educate yourselves and your families in the event that you come into contact with one at some point. You don’t have to like or even agree with something to understand it, and if you understand it, you’re better able to deal with it should the need arise.
6. For the zealots: KNOCK THAT SHIT OFF. You’re making the rest of us look bad.
7. For the sick fucks shooting at children, or anyone else, for that matter: There is a special place in Hell for you. I hope your journey there is fraught with terror.