However, gun violence is a serious matter, but boiling it down to “guns are the problem” ignores the multifaceted factors like mental health, socio-economic conditions, and any other blame you wish to put towards the use of a gun in the death or injury of another.

It’s not as black-and-white as that. That would be like blaming every vehicle for a vehicle accident just because someone you might have known died in one. It’s never been the “object” that committed the act. It was the “person” using the object!

The first gun, or proto-gun, appeared in China around 1000 AD. People have been killing each other for thousands of years, using various weapons such as sticks and stones. We, the “Human Race,” have always been the “cause and effect” of our own violence. Yes, guns have, no doubt, played their part, but they have also saved the lives of people.

Perhaps it’s the same reason when there is a “car accident,” we all slow down to see, knowing something terrible happened. We seem to crave the bad and don’t care about the good. Part of being a responsible “gun owner” is knowing that you have a tool that can cause serious injury, death, or save a life.

The bad people know it, too. That’s why they have theirs and why I have mine. “I train not to be a hero, but I refuse to be a victim.”

Every time there is one of these mass shootings, it seems people like me, a firearm owner and Certified Firearms Instructor, are on the defensive to defend themselves. The news tends to want to lump us all into one group, saying, “With no guns, we wouldn’t have this problem.”

That is another problem because the number of firearms is genuinely unknown. The federal government did not even regulate firearms until 1968. The reality is that no one, not even the federal government, knows just how many firearms its citizens own. Then there is that little thing called the Second Amendment, a constitutional right, so you can’t just say forget it and move on. Yes, even we firearm owners have rights, too.

What is the solution?

I think the first thing we need to recognize is that “police” can’t protect us, the average citizen. They cannot predict the future and say that this person or that person is going to commit a crime or that they are going to commit a mass shooting. In the insurance industry, it is called the “Law of Large Numbers,” trying to factor in what could happen, where it could happen, and who is most likely to be involved.

Opinions vs. Facts

From the various news accounts, I have gathered that the media is not trying to figure out the truth but is giving their opinions. Information is missing, and the incident should have been investigated before jumping to conclusions. We might hear about it, but we will probably have already moved on to the next major event, and this will be old news.

Family and Friends Are Victims Too

The family and friends are also victims because they will continue to suffer and wonder what life would have been like. How will this affect them? Will they think about what could have been? The families and friends of those who died may be the only ones left wondering because the media will say little or nothing about it.

Mental Health Is a Challenging Problem

Our once great country is in the midst of many trying and challenging problems, yes, including “gun control.” Is the system perfect? Obviously not, or things like this wouldn’t be happening. One thing that continues to come up repeatedly is the lack of mental health help. We don’t seem to have enough of it, and in some places, there is none at all. The other problem is that we would rather ignore the facts about what is happening because this is our world right now.

Maine has a mental health crisis, not a gun crisis. pic.twitter.com/Fi7pe6zZxy

— Paul Hookem ?? (@PaulHook_em) October 26, 2023

Soft Targets

We are all soft targets living in a dangerous place, and no one is immune. We should be safe at our schools, in places of worship, shopping, and walking down the street. Are we? I don’t think so because if I did, I would find something else to do with my time rather than teach my students how to defend themselves with a firearm.

This gun-free zone in Maine got people killed ⤵️

“We kindly ask that you refrain from bringing firearms in this building and we would appreciate it if you left them in your vehicle. Please keep our atmosphere family-friendly.”https://t.co/sl2XlNqbh6 pic.twitter.com/6dVBFyiVAZ

— Gun Owners of America (@GunOwners) October 27, 2023

FBI Firearm Statistics

Here is a link to the FBI Safety Resources website, something we should all commit to memory and encourage those we love to do the same thing. It gives studied information about who, what, where, when, and how to respond and maybe even prevent a tragic situation.

A Firearm Is Not Evil

This is your life we are talking about; don’t fight fair! The best way to avoid becoming a victim is not to think this could only happen to someone else and somewhere else.

Even though you have read all of this, I am confident that some still consider the “firearm” an “evil tool.” The “firearm” is doing what it is designed to do: shoot. It isn’t the “firearms” fault that an evil person used it. We all share that responsibility by being unprepared and not working to solve this problem. I believe it is something we can do.

Still, it takes a community, a country, and a government that is willing to work together and not point fingers of blame at each other.

My dad always used to say, “It doesn’t take a genius to burn down a barn.” Maybe we all need to quit trying to get our own way and work together to fix the problem rather than start over.

In my 50 years of handling firearms, I have had one negligent discharge (ND). I am ashamed to admit that I have found that if you handle firearms long enough, that will happen. Luckily for me, of the four rules governing firearm safety, I was fortunate enough to be following rule number two. I had the firearm pointed in a safe direction, away from anything I was not willing to destroy. I didn’t injure anyone, and that day taught me a lesson I have never forgotten, even after 30 years.

There are FOUR basic rules for handling any Firearm:

• Treat EVERY FIREARM AS IF IT WAS LOADED.
• Always point your Firearm in a SAFE DIRECTION, meaning away from others and at nothing you are not willing to DESTROY.
• KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER AND OUTSIDE THE TRIGGER GUARD.
• Know what your TARGET is and what is beyond your TARGET.

I just left Albuquerque, New Mexico, a few weeks after Alec Baldwin’s story broke concerning a tragic incident that most certainly should have been avoided. Ironically, I was in Albuquerque for a National Rifle Association (NRA) training course, getting my handgun and rifle instructor certifications. Like many of you, I read the various news accounts of what had happened. I was shocked. How could three people handle a firearm, and no one checked to see if it was loaded or if it was loaded with what? This, of course, was a movie production using real firearms. So, blanks or non-firing rounds could have been in this handgun, yet no one verified what was there. Certainly, a live round (real ammunition) should not have been in the handgun at all!

How to Become an Armorer For Films

After reading the various news accounts and watching all the YouTube police interviews, I researched the whole situation myself. What shocked me the most was the qualifications, or, I should say, the lack of qualifications, to become an “Armorer” on a movie set. There are none! In short, you intern for another armorer. Then, when that armorer feels you have learned enough, you go to the State of California to get an Entertainment Firearms Permit BOF 051 Entertainment Firearms Permit Application. Then apply to the Prop Master Union; now you are an armorer!

I kid you not; that is the complete process!

I suppose the State of California also took note of the Baldwin incident and wanted to ensure that nothing like the “Rust” incident would happen again. I found two yet differing California State Bills concerning the use of firearms on an entertainment set. They are SB 831 and SB 829, which, as far as I can figure out, are not laws. They are both still proposed state bills.

SB 831 requires a person(s) with OSHA training to always be on the set during the production and verify the firearms and ammunition.

SB 829 requires a State Fire Marshal to be on set with firearms and ammunition. I mean, no disrespect to either OSHA or State Fire Marshals, but what training do they have to make them qualified to handle firearms?

Does that make any sense to anyone reading this, because it sure doesn’t to me!

You Are Your Own First Responder

In the hands of an untrained person, a gun becomes more deadly because of accidents. In the hands of a trained person, it can become a life-saving tool. The average police response time, according to FBI data, is eight to twenty minutes before the police will even arrive.

For example, we could use the recent mass shooting in the Allen Texas Mall north of Dallas. A police officer working an unrelated call was already on the scene at Allen Mall. The suspect opened fire at 3:34 PM, but the first officer could not find or engage the suspect until 3:40 PM! I commend his brave actions, but six minutes under fire is a long time to wait for help to arrive! He was on scene and did not hesitate, but it still took a few minutes for him to stop the threat.

“This video shows how quickly a routine interaction with the public turned into a life-and-death situation,” said Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey. “The officer recognized the danger, ran toward the gunfire, and neutralized the threat – and for his actions, the Allen community is forever grateful.”

Soft Targets

Our world has become disheartening, with “soft targets” being present everywhere in public, leaving us more vulnerable to this risk. I am not saying we need to be paranoid, but we need to be more aware of our surroundings, especially in public. Homeland Security created a series of videos called “Run, Hide, Fight” concerning workplace attacks, but anyone can apply them anywhere. Carry “Pepper Spray,” a “Pocketknife,” or a “Gun.” Anything is better than nothing!

For those who abdicated, removing all “firearms,” many of the recent mass incidents of loss of life did not require the person(s) to use a “firearm.” Anyone who has undergone any law enforcement or military training will verify that if a person(s) is willing to trade their life for yours, only your self-defense actions can stop them, nothing else!

Get Training and Practice

If you are going to own a “firearm,” get some professional training and practice! Just because you have shot a “firearm” doesn’t mean you can use it well or will be able to in extreme life or death situations.

The Navy Seals have a saying: “Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast,” meaning that if you practice, it becomes second nature. If you own a “firearm” for self-protection, practice with it as if it will save your life because one day it just might! On our challenge coin, which we give to our Carry Concealed Weapon (CCW) and CCW renewal students, is a saying,

“I train not to be a hero, but I refuse to be a victim.”

I’d like to share my thoughts on the setup of this Glock 19 with a red dot sight and a tactical flashlight. This one also has a compensator as well. It’s cool and something out of a “John Wick” movie. But how effective is this, and is it practical for concealed carry? It isn’t! This is a full-size semi-automatic with a tactical light, red dot, compensator, and extended magazine. Unless you wear a shirt three times your normal size, you will leave a print the “bad guy” can see. Hell, Stevie Wonder could see it, so this isn’t effective for concealed carry.

Optics on Handguns for EDC

My single biggest concern with optics on handguns is people become dependent on them. So, when they don’t have them, you may not shoot as well. My approach to firearm training is K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid), which means focusing on the basics. The more complicated you make it, the harder it is to actually learn. So, the less effective you truly are.

The F.B.I. national average is up to 7 yards, or 21 feet. I’m 6′ 2″, so when my arm is extended, I have roughly three feet of arm sticking out. Then, add the length of the actual firearm,  up to nearly four feet. A red dot isn’t going to help you with a distance of less than 17 feet, at least, it isn’t for me. And if you need a red dot to hit at 17 feet, well, you need a lot more practice.