We were pleased to be with residents from the Kennett Square area on May 25th for our “Guns around Town” presentation. It’s always interesting to hear what brings people to the event and to learn about their experiences and perspectives.
I got talking with someone who described themselves as a gun owner and National Rifle Association member. Interestingly, they said they could support virtually all of the legislative items we had covered during the presentation. This included universal background checks before gun purchase, keeping guns out of the schools (unless carried by trained law enforcement or security personnel) and continuing restrictions on gun silencers. The participant’s comment reinforced the polling statistics we had presented, which showed a high level of support among gun owners for these types of policies.
This conversation is a perfect example of why Gun Sense Chester County promotes “building bridges” as part of our efforts. There IS substantial common ground among gun owners and non gun owners alike as to what represents common sense regulation.
Now, we just need to convince our elected officials to pass those regulations. To achieve that, we need to all join together… those who would prefer to never hold a gun to those who are gun enthusiasts, to make our wishes known. Unfortunately, gun owners have been told by some Second Amendment advocacy groups not to trust what they describe as “gun control gun grabbers.” (For the record, Gun Sense Chester County does not seek to take away anyone’s gun who is a lawful owner. We do encourage responsible ownership practices such as securing the gun in in a locked storage area within the home.)
Each open, respectful conversation we have helps build understanding and trust. Hopefully this will help members of the gun owning community who agree with some additional regulations to feel comfortable that talking with their elected officials to make some changes will not result in a complete loss of gun rights in the U.S. We are building toward this understanding and trust one conversation, one step, at a time.
On this Memorial Day Weekend, we thank current members of our armed forces and veterans for being willing to take up arms in the service of our country. We owe you a great debt.
Ann Colby-Cummings, Chairperson
GunSenseUs 