"Can we have a real discussion about gun control?"

Can we have a real conversation about gun control?  Maybe, maybe not.  I am hopeful that we can sit down and have this necessary conversation, but I have my concerns about the word "real".  It is impossible to sit down and have a real conversation if we won't stay on topic or stick to facts.  The facts are all that matters when it comes to a conversation.  There are a lot of studies out there by people who mean well.  Some of them are incomplete and do not take all variables into account.  Others are an apples to oranges comparison and comparisons like that are an injustice to the very situation we face today.  It isn't fair to compare us to other countries.

This is an American problem. Undeniably, it is happening more here than other countries. Other countries are dealing with their own problems and that is another topic. There are potentially dozens of reasons for these massacres happening here.  It's a complex issue.  This has to be a work in progress and we have to be willing to set political affiliation aside and stick to the facts.  This is a highly emotional subject.  Nobody I know ever wants to hear of another one of these massacres but truthfully, we all know there is another one in our near future.  "Is this what life is like in America now?"  Yes.  Yes it is and its time for us to understand that.

It's time for us to understand that the world is a rough place.  It's time to realize that America can be a rough place.  Never in a million years did I ever believe there could be a 9/11.  Not once did I ever think there could be a Timothy McVeigh and a giant ass truck bomb.  I had no idea that there were people out there like this recent asshole that shot up the Florida classroom, like the asshole who shot up the gay night club, the the asshole who shot up the concert venue in Las Vegas.  Never.  It never crossed my mind that there are people out there among us that were that ill, that broken, so capable of doing such a thing.  This is our reality and we need to own it.

"So just throw in the gloves, eh?"  No.  That's not what I am saying.  It's time to accept this in order to address this.  There is no sure fire method to identify who is likely to go on the next rampage, and we have to accept that too.  And maybe that is part of the problem.  Acceptance, being able to accept the fact that we will have another massacre on our hands is critical.  Preparing for this event is even more critical, and in doing so, we need to pay attention to all of the data that has been collected regarding each of these events.

I don't buy into this as being a gun problem.  Above I mentioned 'apples to oranges' comparisons.  Here, every once in a while, some maniac goes on a shooting spree.  It's absolutely the worse thing I can think of at this time.  Other countries have their own problems.  For instance, Syria.  I recently heard a story about a particular town in Syria that the Taliban or ISIS had total control over.  As they were being run out of town after imprisoning, torturing and killing the majority of the towns people, they set land mines everywhere.  They booby trapped homes.  They booby trapped churches, mosques and other gathering places.  They set land mines in the fields, in the walk ways, in the roads and sidewalks and every week they are losing 36 people on average.  Other countries in the region are experiencing the same things.

This is their horror.  This is what they have to deal with every day.  I am not comparing them to us.  I don't have the chance to choose one life or the other.  Neither do they.  This is their reality and they live it every day.  It's horrible and I can't imagine what their lives are like.

If these folks were to have an advantage over us is, it might be in the fact that they have identified  their adversary.  What we have in common with them is, our adversaries look just like us.  They reside next door or across the street.  We talk to them.  We work with them.  How do we deal with that?

So much of what is being said these days regarding these massacres is emotionally based.  How couldn't it be?  What I think we need to start paying attention to is what we can agree on.  None of us wants another one of these things to happen.  None of us.  If we focused on that, perhaps we could make some ground with this discussion.  I saw a recent poll that said 67% of legal gun owners are willing to make some concessions in the name of safety.  I think its important to remember that these concessions have not been clearly defined as well as it is unknown what or if these concessions would have any impact.

I was having a discussion with a friend of mine who is pro 2nd Amendment said, "I would give away all my guns if it would stop these massacres."  I disagreed only on the fact that me and my guns are not the problem here.  Me giving up my guns and my 2nd Amendment protections will not stop these shooting sprees.  The won't... and more than anything, I think my friend said this as a feel good statement.  It just doesn't make sense to me.  Taking away, my guns or your guns will not stop this.  The problem is far more complex than that and we need to quit looking at the quick fix for such a delicate matter.

We're better than that.  We're smarter than that.  If we could set all emotions aside, put the facts on the table, stick to the topic, we might be able to make some ground here.  The problem with facts is, they don't always work in your favor.  It's hard, almost impossible to accept the facts.  It's also hard to know that we will face another one of these massacres on day.

I have heard a lot of reasonable requests from concerned people regarding the safety of our children.  "Metal Detectors" "Armed Guards" are two of the most reasonable that I have heard.  If our children are our future and our most precious commodity, we are we not protecting them as such?  Our airports, sporting arenas, banks and other places are filled with metal detectors and armed security.  Do you mean to tell me that we care more about that shit than we do our kids?  No excuses...  Lets address this.  Don't tell me there's no money for it.  Were spending money all over the place!  We can find the money for this.  I think most of us civilians would gladly donate to the cause. We can do this!

With that out of the way, I'd like to tell anyone reading this a little about me and where I am coming from.  I am going to keep the next couple of paragraphs all about me.... a brief autobiography, if you will.  My name is Brice Dudley.  I was born into a house of guns.  In fact, my first birthday present was a Winchester Model 12 12 gauge.  My dad was a gunsmith and a competitive shooter.  At any given time, there was a project or two on the bench and my reality was, there are guns everywhere.  I was taught to respect firearms.  I was taught at an early age that guns are not a mystery and if I ever wanted to handle a gun or know anything about a gun, all I had to do was ask a question.  I was taught that guns are not toys.  I was taught that we don't point anything that is not a finger at anyone, at any time.

I grew up learning how to properly handle guns.  I learned how guns operated and I learned what guns where capable of by going shooting.  I learned that once you pull the trigger, you can never get that bullet back.  Whatever happens after you pull the trigger for, you are responsible.  I learned that you never point a gun at anything you don't intend on destroying.

As I began to hunt, I learned the value of life.  My family hunted for food.  The first time I shot a quail, I was lost somewhere between feeling sorry and being proud.  Sorry for the taking of a life, but proud to know that I could be capable of providing a food source for my family.  My dad looked at me and asked, "Are you okay?"  I remember nodding yes but being a little too choked up to talk about it.  Dad said, "Hunting is a hell of a thing, and its not for everybody.  There are a few things for you to know about this particular circumstance.  You followed every safety rule in the book.  You knew what you were shooting at and what was beyond it.  We are going to take this quail home and we are going to cook it up for dinner and the next few days.  There is value in being able to do this and this is a skill that will forever be with you.  I'm proud of you.  Not because you killed a quail. I am proud of you for properly handling the gun, having paid attention to everything I ever told you about guns, and mostly for giving hunting a try."

I just kind of stood there holding my 410 in one hand and the quail in the other.  My dad said, "We are going to honor this bird in a couple of ways.  First of all, we are going to eat this bird and any others we happen to get today.  Secondly, we are only going to take what we can eat.  We will also do what we can to protect the habitat this bird lives in.  We are out walking around in these draws in order to not destroy the habitat.  We will always follow these rules.  These are the rules my dad learned from his dad, I learned from him and now you learned from me.  If you want, one day you will have the opportunity to teach this to your kids."

Later in life, I had the opportunity to introduce my boys into the sport.  Neither was too interested in the killing aspect of hunting, but neither ended up having a problem cycling ammunition through any of the guns I owned while out shooting targets.   Recently, my step mother gave me a few of my dad's old shotguns.  As I looked at them and handled each one of them, they took me back to that day.  I learned more about life that day than I have any other time in my life.  I learned about honor, respect and being responsible.  I wasn't taught that stuff in a classroom.  It happened with my dad, out in the Arizona desert around Chloride.  Nobody but us, the jack rabbits, the rattle snakes and the quail.

From that 1 day, my love for the sports of hunting and shooting became part of who I am.  Since then, my love for the sports have grown into a field of work that I had no clue would ever exist.  I am a part time shooting coach/shooting instructor, and being able to introduce people like the little kid I once was to the sport is so rewarding.  If I had one love besides my family and friends, I would be somewhere between being in the outdoors and teaching someone who has never handled a gun, how to shoot responsibly.

I urge everyone in this country to give the shooting sports an opportunity.  Hire a professional and train with them often.  Learn first hand about guns, gun safety and the responsibility that goes along with that.  It's money well spent and an education that will last you a life time.

Thanks for reading folks.  I really do appreciate it.