I just wanted to give an update as we had our first meeting at an indoor gun range, btw.
Immediately I want to say, there is most assuredly no bias against firearms in regards to this study. I met Dr. Krista Mehari and Dr. Phillip Smith and I'd consider both of them to be firearm enthusiasts and strong 2nd Amendment supporters. That can also be said of the other researchers who are assisting them as well. This study means a lot to them personally as gun owners as well. Because like all of us, they feel there is and has been a lot of bias against firearms so they want to in part correct that. In fact, they shared a few stories of the push back that they get at times from some fellow colleagues. That is why they feel this is important because it can in part dismiss some of the negative connotations often levied against firearm ownership.
There was probably between 30 and 40 of us on the Gun Owners Advisory board with a large diversity in backgrounds. The owner of the indoor range is a retired LE officer. There were numerous other LE officers involved as well as one gentleman who works with the military in counter terrorism. There were numerous NRA instructors and several gun shop owners. Most of us were men but there was some ladies. There were other backgrounds and a great diversity in age groups. There was also one Game Warden (late 20's) who works with a lot of educational programs. They sponsor several programs including the Adult Mentored Hunting Program which I think is a phenomenal endeavor. They get seasoned and experienced hunters/shooters to help mentor anyone interested in hunting as well as the outdoors in general. They provide a lot of safety and shooting instruction and programs for youth, all of which is free. I think most of us grew up hunting but a few got involved with firearms out of necessity as they felt the need to protect themselves otherwise involved with LE or Military. We were broken off into two different groups, due to size, so I am not sure of the diversity in the second group.
Krista led our group and she was a blast. She was really excited about all of the input and the opinions being shared that she could hardly contain herself by the end. She is fairly young (mid/late 20's). So she was just amazed at all of the stories people shared and their reasons for enthusiasm for firearms. I've always admired the beauty and craftsmanship myself and noted some of the iconic firearms, such as the 1911, the Walther PPK, the Beretta 92FS, and the Colt Python, which I consider the most beautiful revolver ever made, etc. She shared that was her first reaction with the first firearm she purchased, just the beauty of it.
I am fairly outspoken so I did actually speak quite a bit. One thing I did was bring up some of the concerns that was raised here. A few others stated the same but their fears, like mine, had already been put to rest. I also shared the death of Tinman357's daughter and gave his opinion in regards to suicide, as I promised I would, noting the failures of the system to help. I noted the point that suicide rates could be skewed because people who choose to take their life with a firearm may have done so BECAUSE they knew it was lethal. Whereas others who chose different methods and survived, may have not truly been suicidal but instead making a call for help. Numerous other points as well.
It's kinda funny because at one point I used the term "firearm violence" and the Game Warden who sat at my table said "well, that is not the language we would use" as law abiding gun owners. Just like some of you did when I posted here, so I mentioned that. In my defense, I noted that when I say firearm violence I mean, "violence committed by a criminal with use of a firearm". Several LE officers and a few others who came from bad neighborhoods came to my defense and agreed with my terminology. They feel part of the problem with the language we use -vs- now is due to our era or different backgrounds. We all agreed that we need to be very careful with our language though as we go forward and begin to conduct studies/surveys. It's just something I would have never thought about though because I mostly associate firearms with sports as the Game Warden see it. Whereas when I say firearm violence I am speaking about a small percentage and in regards to criminals. This is how the LE saw it as well.
Anyhow, it was an excellent first meeting.
God Bless,
Ralph