How Do You Help Guide This Tough Conversation?

In today’s Concealed Carry Report, Tim talks about several recent mass shootings and the questions that often follow such a tragedy:

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Tim Schmidt\ 118x134
BY TIM SCHMIDT - USCCA FOUNDER

By now you’re undoubtedly aware of the three tragedies that occurred over the last two weeks:

In Gilroy, California, a gunman murdered three — Stephen Romero (6), Keyla Salazar (13) and Trevor Deon Irby (25) — and wounded 13 when he opened fire at the Gilroy Garlic Festival on July 28.

On the morning of Aug. 3, a lone shooter walked into an El Paso, Texas, Walmart and murdered 22 people: Javier Rodriguez (15), Andre Anchondo (23), Jordan Anchondo (24), Leonard Cipeda Campos (41), Ivan Hilierto Manzano (46), Maribel Hernandez (56), Elsa Libera Marquez (57), María Eugenia Legarreta Rothe (58), Arturo Benavides (60), Jorge Calvillo García (61), Gloria Irma Marquez (61), Margie Reckard (63), David Alvah Johnson (63), Alexander Gerhard Hoffman (66), Sara Esther Regalado (66), Adolfo Cerros Hernandez (68), Raul Flores (77), Maria Flores (77), Juan Velázquez (77), Teresa Sánchez de Freitas (82), Angelina Englisbee (86) and Luis Alfonzo Juarez (90). Twenty-four others were injured in the attack.

In Dayton, Ohio, in the early morning hours of Aug. 4, a male perpetrator opened fire outside the entrance to Ned Peppers Bar in the Oregon Historic District, murdering nine — Megan Betts (22), Nicholas Cumer (25), Thomas McNichols (25), Lois Oglesby (27), Logan Turner (30), Beatrice Warren-Curtis (36), Saeed Saleh (38), Monica Brickhouse (39) and Derrick Fudge (57) — and injuring 27 others (14 from gunfire).

As is usually the case following any mass murder — let alone three in such a short period of time — people are left with the one question we may never truly be able to answer: Why? Why would anyone commit such an atrocity against other innocent people?

In fact, in the aftermath of tragedies such as these, the desire to know why is what sometimes pushes people to thoughtlessly say things that perhaps they normally wouldn’t say. You see, when we don’t have all the answers, the easiest thing in the world to do is to point fingers:

“Those guys obviously had easy access to guns. We need more background checks!”

“There is no reason why anyone should be able to own guns like those or have that many rounds! We must enact bans on these weapons NOW!”

And perhaps the most common of all:

“We need to just get rid of ALL guns so these mass murders can’t happen again!”

Almost as illogically are the folks who start to use other, often unrelated issues to back pro-gun, pro-Second-Amendment folks into a corner — insinuating that we either don’t care or are OK with innocent people being murdered.

Here are a few of the tasteless comments I’ve seen:

“Let’s take a moment to honor the sacrifice of our brave school children who lay down their lives to protect our right to bear arms.”

“The GOP insists that the Vegas shooter’s gun arsenal is ‘a right,’ but medical treatment for his 500+ survivors is merely ‘a privilege.’”

“New Rule: If you ban abortion before you ban military-style assault rifles that massacre children in schools, you’ve lost your right to call yourself ‘pro-life.’”

Now, I know that these statements are fueled by anger and heartache and the innate desire to do something, but there’s a huge problem here: They all shift the blame to something other than the individuals responsible for carrying out such atrocities.

You and I already know and acknowledge that these tragic events are intentional acts committed by vile men and women who don’t care at all for precious human life. Instead of pointing our fingers at the president, a political party or a particular gun, we hold the perpetrators of these acts accountable.

I believe that all responsibly armed Americans have a duty — especially in the face of terrible events such as those that transpired in California, Texas and Ohio — to respond to inaccurate and cruel statements about guns, concealed carry, the Second Amendment or anything else about which we’re knowledgeable and which can direct this important conversation in a truthful way.

And so, I ask you: Are you standing up and speaking up? Are you joining and helping to guide these tough conversations? I’d love for you to share your thoughts here on the USCCA Community.*

Take Care and Stay Safe,

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Tim Schmidt
Publisher - Concealed Carry Report
USCCA Founder
* This sentence changed because you’re already in the Community.

How do you guide these tough conversations?

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I start by pointing out that all 20,000 plus guns laws didn’t stop these atrocities. Let alone the fact that murder is a capital offense. I use actual facts to show the number of times an armed citizen has thwarted one of these attacks. I don’t name call. I also realize, that a lot of those on social media, or in public will disagree with me. That doesn’t necessarily make them the majority. Someone else may agree wholeheartedly, yet not speak up. They still hear(or read) my words, and so their own research, and ultimately make an informed decision about the actual facts, and what constructive ways we can stop these horrible incidents.

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I would respond, and have responded, by acknowledging that mass murders are horrendous. But mass murders will happen regardless of whether or not guns are banned. As long as there are mentally sick people with the intention of hurting others, there will be mass murder. I would encourage them to look at an article I read the other day to my wife in the Daily Wire that talks about all the non-gun mass murders. There was a mass-knifing in an Asian country, I don’t remember which one, that killed 30+ people. There are bombings, knifings, fires intentionally started, cars used. There are many ways to mass-murder people, and banning guns will not stop people from killing.

I’d also point out the fact that in London alone there were 100 gun deaths in 2018. No, they were not mass shootings, but they easily could have been if the killer was not in a gang but a bullied boy intent on murdering his school, it’s arbitrary. The fact is, banning guns does not work, it only unarms law-abiding citizens like me and you who use guns to protect ourselves and our family.

I’d also point out that there are approximately 2,500,000 lawful DGUs per year in America, compared to the 400,000 gun crimes (some of which may not be gun-related due to legal technicalities).

I’d also point out the study that showed 70% of incarcerated felons admitted to having been deterred from committing violence against an armed citizen: an armed citizen who may e alive today because of their firearm.

Again, mass murders are terrible, but taking away peoples’ self-defense doesn’t help anyone. People will still die in mass murders, and now the violence that happens every day (rape, murder, home invasion) will be a lot harder to defend against.

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All citizens need to be responsible for personal safety. All church leaderships, business owners, sports venues, and other pubic activities should make efforts to maintain security of employees and patrons.

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Welcome, Craig. You’ll like it here, everyone is very kind and informative.

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Alexander Kalishnikov, creator of the AK-47 is quoted as saying he never intended for his weapon to be available to private citizens. It was created for one purpose: A high capacity killing device for the military.
I agree with the right to bear arms, BUT, the constitution never anticipated the advent of weapons like assault rifles. Yes, ASSAULT rifles as in military engagements. No one except military and police should have these things. Want to play with them? Join the military or police. The risk to the public that doesn’t care about owning a weapon is too great to cater to gun enthusiasts. While they aren’t the ones going on killing sprees, they don’t need them. Why take the risk?

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Here is a note I sent yesterday to Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s office in Little Rock. This conveys my current thoughts on where we are and where some want to take us.

I noticed on the local Fox news channel that the governor has opened the door for discussion and/or consideration of so-called “red-flag” laws in Arkansas. I urge the governor and Arkansas legislators to refuse ALL requests for gun control, especially “red flag” gun confiscation orders without substantial research and consideration of all surrounding issues.

Such hastily passed laws without consideration of consequences and denial of Constitutionally granted due process under the Fourth Amendment create new sets of problems for democracy. Such laws also fly in the face of the Second Amendment and individual rights granted under the U.S. Constitution. I realize '“red-flag” laws may have a place in today’s society, but there also need to be solid safeguards to ensure personal rights, particularly under the “Castle Doctrine” and personal safety. Simply having a supposition of “being a danger” needs much more foundation for anyone to call for or issue any kind of warrant for intrusion and possible confiscation of personal firearms.

I am sure there is tremendous political pressure now “to do something about gun control,” but please exercise caution and consider wide input, facts and opinions from Arkansans and research before considering “red-flag” laws and expanded background checks that easily can infringe on Constitutional rights.

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Check out this link for the real reason these shootings occur, probably goes for those in Baltimore, Chicago and all the other cities demonrats are in charge of: Big list of drug-induced killers

Well let’s look at some history about this situation. Three presidents were shot and killed by a Democrat who was upset about the situation, two were shot and one was wounded by a Democrat, a congressman was killed and others were wounded by a Democrat, most of the mass shootings of late have been done by disgruntled Democrats so I think that we should ban all Democrats from owning a firearm and their own private security forces

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I think @Bill13 that you are missing one significant purpose of the 2nd amendment. While it is intended as a right for people to own guns for defense, and while it may be true that they didn’t have weapons of that caliber present when it was written, I think your statement that “they don’t need them” misses an important fact. Another aspect (other than self-defense) of the 2nd amendment, is to protect ourselves from tyrannical governments. Now, if those same governments hold the only “military grade” weapons, or “assault rifles”, it doesn’t do us civilians any good. By the ability to hold weapons of any kind not only assists in our ability to defend ourselves, but also our ability to keep government officials from being tyrants.

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This is a message sent through Mike Huckabee that really resonated with me and I passed it along to all my e-mail friends! Some liberals and some very Conservative like myself. This is a great read and gets to the crux of the matter.
My personal take :
Mike Huckabee puts this all in perspective rather than pushing an emotional narrative.
This is an excellent read. As again the Knee Jerkers on the left want to place the burden on responsible gun owners.

The same knee jerk reactions we get every time something like this happens, the folks on the left refuse to face the facts and as usual want some feel good government program that takes away more of our rights and places Big Government in control of our lives… Oh! Yes! Again trying to blame President Trump’s administration for the problem.

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I find a very simple answer to the questions about WHY. While not a religious person, it seems clear to me that we are watching the moral disintegration of a country. Respect, discipline and honor have been removed from our schools. Children out of marriage is now becoming normal. Opinions from children are being valued above those of adults. One parent families now run as high as 70% in some communities. Laws are now obeyed on an optional basis by politicians in power.

And people are hell bent on blaming an inanimate object when directed by a person to kill? Well of course, people have ceased to be responsible for what they do in a failing society. Just a new version of “The Devil Made Me Do It”.

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It is a tough conversation for sure and we all must step outside this safe comment box into the line of fire.

More importantly, we all must have the conversation outside the safe haven of this USCCA community and the very place I’m typing this message. This forum we have is nice, convenient and non-threatening. That means we have good intentions, but they don’t expand beyond our little campfire stories and ideas.

We as members get it. We all agree. But there are others that don’t see it from our perspective and they challenge, ignore, dismiss our data and reality.
So the questions I ask here are:

  1. What more can Tim Schmidt and the USCCA team do in a more public forum to share the data to show concealed carry is a powerful way to deter crime and even prevent more violence?
  2. What should that data look like, sound like and feel like when presented in a public forum to capture the attention of skeptical audiences? What kind of psychology and presentation approach can the USCCA marketing teams discover that will persuade others to join the efforts to educate the public?
  3. To the USCCA: Give us members ideas, language and point us to the right politicians, groups, media outlets so we can advance the beliefs.
  4. How can our USCCA message and support be different and more approachable, compared to the NRA’s constant and intense stance on certain policies? Can we be more compassionate in perception? More logical in a day2day carry situation? Can we not follow the NRA’s overt message of “Be careful, someone’s coming to take your guns!” fear messages?
  5. How does one convince a person to the fact that the majority of active killers targeted locations that they knew the public is not “allowed” to carry a firearm? This is a critical fact that needs to be driven into the media’s wheelhouse to listen.

Maybe others have more questions and ideas after reading these questions.
RR

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I think we need Red Flag Laws.
If you know your child, brother, co-worker is hating and suddenly buying “assault weapons” and talking about shooting-up someplace, there should be a way you can alert the authorities and a way for them to do something about it.
But, the Red Flag law must confiscate the potential killer.
A potential killer can still kill with knives, cars, poison, etc., taking away guns does nothing to stop a killer.
We must help the potential killer until he can be trusted not to kill.

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I am a firm and emphatic believer in the Constitution. Our rights need to be defended for sure. I am also a firm believer that we have sufficient laws regarding gun control. What is needed is a way to help the mentally ill and troubled minds of this nation. Let’s start there!

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Here is another Article on Baltimore’s huge problem and they have one of the strictest Gun Control measured in our Nation.
Gun Control Failed

Not coincidentally, Baltimore is located in a state which “boasts” of having some of the nation’s most stringent gun laws.

Just read this article and open your eyes folks!! The only thing more gun control does is protect the criminal element, while they murder the people who have no means of protecting themselves or their loved ones and others around them.

Proof!! Criminals don’t obey the laws in the first place!! Wake Up! Read the statistics here in this article!!

[Baltimore’s Homicide Rate Is Ten Times Larger Than the U.S. Rate | The Lead]

(https://thelead.com/articles/baltimore-s-homicide-rate-is-ten-times-larger-than-the-u-s-rate?utm_source=deployer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_content=20190809035918)

[

Baltimore’s Homicide Rate Is Ten Times Larger Than the U.S. Rate The Lead

PSYCLONE MEDIA, INC
Although it has strict gun control laws, Baltimore’s homicide rate is comparable to that of El Salvador and Venezuala!!


](https://thelead.com/articles/baltimore-s-homicide-rate-is-ten-times-larger-than-the-u-s-rate?utm_source=deployer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_content=20190809035918)

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Even if we remove all firearms from America, there will always be another means for an evil individual or group to achieve their goals. It could be knives, bats, hammers, cars, bombs, biological agents, etc. You can’t remove all evil from the world, but you can prepare yourself to fight it.

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I posted the following response recently to question from a friend about a video blog from a veteran who was extremely angry about these shootings and raging at the NRA and 2A supporters in general:

"I feel sorry for him. He’s clearly anguished over the senseless violence we see in the media, and wants like many others to have someone, anyone, to blame.
Unfortunately for those who seek to lay blame, it’s simply not the NRA or any other organization. The only party responsible for any shooting is the party holding the gun and pulling the trigger.

Saying we have “too many guns” because someone goes off the rails and shoots people is like saying we have too many cars and trucks because of drunk driving or collisions. The number of either has nothing whatever to do with the choice made by a person to misuse their car, truck, or gun.

Lastly, the NRA “owns” no politician at any level. They don’t have the money to make those purchases, in the first place. In the second place, the NRA is all about supporting our 2nd Amendment rights, and supporting safe shooting sports, not about being a “gun lobby” as the anti-gun media would have us believe. The NRA is simply not the bogeyman it’s made out to be. The NRA is 5 million Americans who want to keep their rights intact and promote firearm safety and shooting sports. That’s all.

Do we as a country need to “do something” about mass shootings? Yes. We also need to do something about inner city violence that claims many more lives, yet gets far less attention. There may be an agenda with ulterior motives at play in that disparity. What that “something” should be requires calm, clear thinking and rational discussion from all sides, not ranting and rabid hyperbole.

That “something” also cannot include further erosion of our civil rights. There are literally tens of thousands of laws on the books that should prevent mass shootings if they were all followed by every person. The fact that they perpetually fail to prevent these tragedies means they aren’t capable of doing so by regulation or prohibition. That just doesn’t work. We need to address the people side of the problem, socially and medically, not attack the inanimate object misused by an evil person."

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I posted this on Facebook as well as sending out to about 40 e-mails!!

When the time comes to replace our government with another form of governance, as our Constitution requires us to do when our government no longer serves the people, we will require the same weaponry our military has. No government has voluntarily given over their power to a replacement government.

The Constitution did anticipated the people bearing arms equivalent to those the military carry.
Anything less is a violation of the Constitution.

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