The issue of gun control versus gun rights is a hotly debated topic in today’s society. In the wake of such tragedies as the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting in 2012, the natural response has been an outcry demanding stricter gun control. “Take away the guns and such events will be prevented” appears to be the prevailing train of thought in favor of gun control. Those who advocate against such control are often characterized as lacking compassion or worse, common sense. It is erroneous, however, to assume that those in favor of protecting one’s right to bear arms are also against putting measures in place to prevent senseless gun violence. The two sides of the coin are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified on December 17, 1791. It states: “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Although one of the shortest of the ten Amendments composing the Bill of Rights, it has been one of the most contentious throughout history. Gun rights advocates contend that any restriction of gun rights is unconstitutional, while members of the opposition argue that the Founding Fathers were referring to the military and not everyday citizens. Although the debate has been raging for over a century, one thing is certain; no one on either side wants to see more senseless death.
Advocates of gun rights are often misconstrued as rebellious zealots who are uninterested in protecting those vulnerable to violence. In reality, however, that picture is often far from the truth. It is true, that there are those on both sides of the issue that take their position to the extreme. That is accurate of almost any hot-buttoned issue. The majority of gun rights advocates are normal, law-abiding citizens. Many are part of gun clubs all over the country, clubs like the Dakota Territory Gun Collectors Association.
Bill Braun of Wahpeton is a member and past-President of the DTGCA. Founded in 1961 by five men, the group is interested in the preservation of the Second Amendment, yes. Its primary mission, however, is keeping youth involved in collecting, hunting, and shooting. “We are trying to keep the sport alive,” Bill said. “Once we lose youth, we’ve lost the whole game.” One of the primary ways the sport is promoted is through gun shows. The DTGCA participates in fourteen guns shows annually throughout both North and South Dakota. One of the misconceptions about these shows is that they promote illegal activity and enable unrestricted access to firearms. That fallacy, however, is far from accurate. “Anyone that comes to a show finds out quickly that it is a family affair,” Bill explained. For him, that family aspect includes his daughter, Samantha.
Samantha has been involved in the DTGCA since she was a child. “I’ve been going to gun shows with my dad for as long as I can remember,” she said, adding that she has been co-managing shows with him for the past ten years. “The best part of doing the gun shows is visiting with the people,” she said. “The good old boys, as we call them, have been there as long as my dad and seeing them every year is like seeing family.” Samantha is now passing on the tradition to her children. “Teaching a new generation gun safety is so important for the future,” she said. Samantha has watched both of her children go through hunter safety classes, including her 16-year-old daughter Adrianna. “I feel because of her education and understanding of gun safety, she will make good decisions and set an example for her peers,” Sam explained. “I also feel it will be a life-long passion for her that she will pass onto future generations.”
The DTGCA has always been very supportive of the community. “We try to give back whenever we can,” Bill said, adding that the group has supported everything for local habitat programs to youth hunts and fundraisers. One of the programs they support on an annual basis is Twist of Fate, which sponsors a four-day weekend archery hunt for the physically challenged. “Our primary mission is to keep youth interested,” Bill said. “We support as many things as possible that help do that.” In addition to supporting local programs, the DTGCA is also very active in making sure youth understand the safety and responsibility that comes with gun ownership. “A misconception of gun clubs is that we do not care about the safety of others and that is far from the truth,” Sam explained. “Our gun club teaches personal responsibility and accountability when using firearms. We preach safety as a standard not an option.”
Advocating for gun rights is not the same thing as advocating for unrestricted violence. “Some misconceptions draw a picture of gun clubs as survivalist groups bound to wear camouflage and overthrow the government,” Sam explained. For groups like the DTGCA, however, their interest lies in protecting the sport of collecting and shooting. That does not mean members have gun lockers full of machine guns and semi-automatic weapons. “I’m not a fanatic,” Bill said. “I have hunting rifles.”
The National Rifle Association often weighs in on gun control issues. Overall, it is very possible that the NRA has a misunderstood mission. Their ultimate desire is not to arm every man and women in America. They do not advocate unrestricted access to firearms. They are not insensitive to mass shootings and tragedies. Founded in 1871, the NRA’s primary mission is to promote firearm safety, competency, and ownership as well as police training, marksmanships, hunting, and self-defense training throughout the United States. Often, the NRA is forced into the gun control versus rights debates and it is there that their mission is often misconstrued.
Ultimately, the debate stalls at preventing mass shootings while preserving gun rights. Are guns the issue, or should we be focused on the people using the guns? “The gun control movement blames the guns and holds no one accountable for their actions,” Sam said. “They make the guns evil and not the person using them.” In reality, most gun rights advocates support restricting access to firearms when it comes to people with mental health issues. According to a 2013 survey by the National Rifle Association, 90.7% of members support reforming mental health laws to keep firearms out of the hands of the mentally ill. The argument often feels like a chicken/egg debate: Would a tragedy like Sandy Hook have happened with stricter gun legislation that would theoretically take the weapon out of the shooter’s hands? Or, would reforms to the mental health program have prevented the incident in the first place by dealing with the shooter’s desire to kill? Blame the gun for manifesting the mental illness? Or blame the mental illness for obtaining and using the gun? When such a tragedy takes place, it is common for blame to be thrown about. People want to fault someone for their pain. Often, it is easiest to blame the gun instead of looking at deeper and more complex issues.
Our Founding Fathers did not have to concern themselves with automatic assault weapons. Times have changed dramatically and as a result, the debate has changed. Not many people in the United States believe that anyone should have access to such weapons. The fact that something needs to be done to prevent mass shooting is not argued. What steps need to be taken, however, is part of the great debate. Both sides often point to the extremes of the issue to make their case: the government wants to take all guns away; gun rights advocates want to overthrow the government and turn the country back into the Wild West. Each side’s legitimate position lies somewhere in the middle. Gun groups like the DTGCA are often largely misunderstood by gun control advocates. These groups are interested in the preservation of the sports of gun collecting, hunting, and shooting. They are interested in giving back to the community. They want to make sure the next generation of hunters and collectors understands proper safety protocol. Most of all, these groups want to educate young people about the responsibility and accountability that comes with gun ownership. Nobody wants to turn on the news and see reports of gun violence. Nobody was able to listen to details of the Sandy Hook shooting without feeling sick to their stomach. Lack of gun control isn’t solely responsible for such a tragedy, and it is narrow-minded to suggest a single solution to the problem. In addition, it is irresponsible to paint all gun groups with the same brush. They are not necessarily part of the problem. In fact, they just might be part of the solution.
More information on the Dakota Territory Gun Collectors Association can be found at http://dtgca.net/.
