Guns and the Common Good

You own a gun to shoot for sport, for relaxation, to hunt game. You share this activity responsibly with your sons and daughters, your siblings, your spouse, and you take safety precautions. You own these guns legally. You take pride in your marksmanship, your sharp eye and steady hand, your ability to supplement your diet with wild game you’ve brought home. You may even be a member of a local rod and gun club, and I understand — I live near one. I hear shooting most days in good weather.

I’m glad for you. I didn’t grow up with guns and shooting, so it’s not my thing. Guns are like motorcycles — you’re more likely to shoot or drive if you’ve had gun owners or motorcycle owners in your family growing up. We license motorcycle drivers separate from automobile drivers, and they’re expected to take a safety training course, and not everyone can pass — I failed, though I tried. I have respect for you motorcyclists, just as I have respect for you gun owners.

I don’t want to take away your rifles, your pistols, your guns. I have no interest in this. I am not the horrible person the NRA wants you to believe I am. Yes, I’m liberal, but I’m not marching to take away these guns. I’m marching and protesting because I believe that you, like me, want sensible legislation. You don’t want to be painted as the bad guy. I want you to feel that you are not being threatened. I am not threatening you.

I hear the guns that are used to shoot at the range near me, and the sounds are single, individual, small pop pop pops that are distinct from each other. The guns are not rapid-fire devices, not weapons developed to mow down as many enemies as possible. You pull a trigger, you shoot. You pull a trigger, you shoot. That makes sense to me. That’s sportsmanship.

Today marks one month. I will be honoring the 17 lost one month ago today. I am not standing in silence to take away your guns.

Please don’t let the twisted rhetoric of the NRA convince you otherwise. There’s evidence that though they are the National Rifle Association, they’ve accepted funding from Russian sources. They are not representing your best interests. If they were, they’d understand their responsibility to you and not simply focus on buying political favors and functioning as kingmakers.

I don’t want to take away your guns. I just don’t want to see another child die at school.

Sensible gun legislation is within our grasp if we all focus on what we want to achieve together, rather than letting special interests divide us.

It is American to find the commonality, to find the good, to uplift each other. That’s how we grew 13 colonies into 50 states — by banding together for the common good.

Sensible gun legislation is the common good. The majority of our citizens believe this, even gun owners. Let’s do this. Together. United We Stand.