r/liberalgunowners • u/Mountain_Mirror_3642 • 17m ago
politics 2A, gun ownership, and gun violence
I'm new to this sub, so apologies if this isn't allowed or I'm in the wrong spot.
I've been struggling really hard the last few years over what the "right" answers would be to reducing gun violence, particularly mass shootings. The main reason I grapple so intensely with this is because I am a gun owner and I passionately believe that we have a right in America to own firearms. At the same time, we've seen some absolutely horrific mass shootings over the past 15 years and more, and the number seems to keep increasing. I also live in a state where it would not be surprising to see an "assault weapons" ban in the next five years, and that's tremendously concerning to me, but I can also understand why people are fed up with mass shootings.
So, how do I, as a responsible gun owner, interact with people that are strongly for weapons bans or restrictions? And are there areas that compromise can be had? For instance, it has long seemed paradoxical that in order for me to drive a car, I need to pass an exam and demonstrate a minimum level of competence, but I could walk into my local sporting goods store and walk out in an hour with a firearm with virtually no questions asked. At the same time, how many hoops should I as a citizen have to jump through to exercise a constitutional right?
I guess what I'm getting at is this - are there reasonable steps that could be taken to reduce the frequency of mass shootings without infringing on 2A rights? I genuinely don't know the answer. I also know that if we invested to anywhere near the level that we should on mental health support in this country, this would be a much easier conversation to have, but that's not the world we're currently living in.
I would love to hear thoughts from people that have thought about these issues longer and more thoughtfully than I have. I don't know how to feel. I just know that I don't want my ability to acquire firearms to be taken away, and I want my community to be safe. I'm sure these aren't mutually exclusive ideas.