Gun control series Part II: Finding middle ground

If you’ve read Part I of this gun control series, you know why I’m armed and which side I’ve chosen in the gun control debate.

Like everyone else with an ounce of compassion, regardless of which side of the debate they’ve chosen, I was horrified when a gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14, 2018, killing seventeen and injuring seventeen others.

But since school shootings have become so commonplace, our collective response is all too predictable:

First, we each clarify our position and accuse the other side of being out of touch with reality – or just flat-out stupid. Next, a politician tweets “thoughts and prayers” and some celebrity mocks them for not caring or doing anything to fix the problem. Then gun control advocates demonize the NRA calling it a “domestic terrorist organization” while we gun rights advocates dig our heels in deeper than ever…

You know the drill. But instead of just allowing this to be another school shooting, the surviving students organized the Never Again MSD PAC.

#NeverAgain trended for months as the survivors went on a national bus tour to advocate for new gun laws. They’ve worked very hard to ensure their classmates didn’t die in vain.

Their passion was contagious. Al Hoffman Jr., former U.S. Ambassador to Portugal and Republican donor in Florida, pledged that he would no longer fund legislative groups or candidates who “were not actively working to ban sales of military-style assault weapons to civilians”. Several gun owners posted videos of themselves destroying their own weapons.

These kids made sure this school shooting was different from the rest.

They made a difference, so I decided to make a difference too.

Instead of playing my “normal” role of right-wing gun lover, I formed a discussion group in hopes of finding middle ground on the gun control debate and to propose legislation that both sides could agree on and that would make a lasting difference.

Our group – including some gun rights advocates, some gun control advocates and some “middle of the road” people – held its first meeting in my family room on March 15, 2018.

Each of us shared our position on gun rights/control along with any specific event or story that influenced our beliefs.

One group member had lost an uncle in an accidental police shooting. One member had lived in Thailand for a while and hoped we could mimic Thailand’s strict gun laws. I shared my car-jacking story.

I also pointed out that the purpose of the second amendment is the same as the other nine amendments in the Bill of Rights as explained in the preamble: “to prevent misconstruction or abuse of [the government’s] powers”. With that as a backdrop, we discussed how an armed citizenry provides a check against that abuse of power.

I went to bed that night feeling proud that instead of doing what I’ve always done, I’d organized a group of concerned Americans to try to make a positive difference.

You can imagine my disappointment when, the very next morning, both gun control advocates dropped out of the group explaining that they couldn’t belong to any group that fostered “anti-government conspiracy theories.”

What?

“We’re doing this to save children,” one of them said, “not to feed your desire to fight the government.”

I reminded them of our discussion from the night before and explained that being armed and being anti-government are not the same thing.

Round and round we went. Just like before.

I begged them to reconsider because I really thought we’d started something special and I wasn’t ready to give up. Without them – or someone like them – our group would become just another pro-gun echo chamber.

Unfortunately, I still haven’t found any gun control advocates willing to join our group. Please let me know if you know someone in the Salt Lake City area that would be open-minded and willing to help.

I’m not giving up. And neither should you.

Regardless of which side you’re on in the gun control debate, I hope you’ll read the final installment in this series with an open mind.

Next up: Gun control series Part III: Gun reform that would actually work

 

 

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Tom Milligan proudly opposes anyone who messes with the US Constitution, regardless of party affiliation. He is a pro-life, gun-toting conservative that supports the Convention of States and other measures to limit the size and power of the federal government.

Tom is the father of 4 great men and husband to an amazing wife. You can follow Tom on Twitter and Facebook.