Mass shootings must stop! Right?!

I write this defense of the “pro-gun” position understanding it will not be received well by gun control folks. But I hope they make it to the end where I will recommend changes that the gun folks will hate. Most Americans believe that public safety and personal well-being are the highest of priorities. Beyond that, we separate into the pro-gun and gun-control positions. That default is a missed opportunity and my aim is to bridge the divide.

There are a few universal traits of responsible gun owners: a belief in protecting themselves and others from threats; a healthy respect for the power and danger of weapons; knowledge of their weapons, and a desire to train and learn; and enjoyment of the sport of hunting or marksmanship.

Almost all gun owners are thoughtful, kind, good people who represent the best in humans. (There are of course exceptions and I know my inbox is about to be full of haters.) Gun owners understand the exceptions. Here is a secret: Gun owners regret instances of mass murder, murder, suicide, and weapons negligence equally as much as non-gun owners. Likely more so.

Every gun owner I know resents irresponsible and evil actions, intentional and negligent. It makes all gun owners look bad. Don’t believe me? Go to any gun store or firing range and you’ll meet salt of the earth, good people. Show a sincere desire to learn and you’ll find a wealth of knowledge from good humans that will change your mind.

Then why are gun owners not demanding that legislators at every level ban high-capacity magazines, ban “assault rifles,” require universal background checks, increase the age for possession and purchase, etc.?

Gun owners see themselves as part of the solution, not the problem. Think, law enforcement, private security, military. Gun owners don’t want to be a victim and they hope to prevent others from becoming victims as well. Gun owners are good people desiring a more peaceful and just society. (I know, I know… I can hear the hate coming.)

If the above doesn’t resonate, gun-control advocates must ask if they want to be effective in their cause. Stop demonizing gun owners. There are hundreds of millions of guns in America (supposedly more than there are people.) Anti-gun folks view this as the problem. Gun owners see it as part of the solution. The reason Congress and state legislators (in all but the most liberal places) don’t severely restrict gun ownership is that gun owners permeate every demographic group.

Self-preservation is the most rational of instincts. In addition, most lawmakers either have or know someone who has been threatened. There is a feeling of vulnerability in our society. The most obvious way to protect your physical well-being and all those that you love is with a firearm. Considering the number of guns in society, statistically, we’re each pretty safe in America.

But gun owners shouldn’t underestimate the sadness, shock, and anger that murder after murder, tragedy after suicide, decade after decade, have on people. Many gun owners believe that if they continue to show force through threats of recall, elections, and so on their position will continue to win.

A small minority of gun owners insist on visually showing their weapons to show how serious they are. My prediction is this strategy has been gradually failing over my entire lifetime of 56 years. Yes, gun ownership has risen however fear of guns has never been higher.

My core belief is that guns are good in the right hands. It’s because I held and shot them as a small child: rifles, pistols, shotguns. Then more at Boy Scout camps. Fired them more in the Army. I truly enjoyed learning accuracy with my M-16. Once I became an officer I regret not becoming more proficient with a 45 and then a 9 millimeter. I still have handmade walnut grips made by a friend that I hope to have installed someday on an Army-issued 45.

However, most young folk across America especially in urban and suburban settings are not getting the exposure and learned respect that I had towards guns and gun owners.  We need to have better empathy for those that simply don’t understand, and we need to do a better job of insisting that guns should never be in the hands of the unstable and irrational who would dare consider injuring or killing innocent people.

Gun owners should be leading these efforts.

Gun opponents should respect those who are called to protect the rest of us.

Finally, more of us need to be rational and empathic toward differing opinions. I sincerely look forward to reading your earnest reflections of mine. The first step, like everything else in persuasion, begins with respect. I’ll do my best in conversations with you.

John Brackney is a former elected official, Army Officer, lifelong Coloradan, and business leader. He hosts a weekly discussion on contemporary public policy with U.S. History Professor Stephen Tootle on Facebook live and posted on YouTube. Contact him at JohnBrackney@msn.com.

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