Defense Secretary Robert Gates ordered the Pentagon to implement rules about personally-owned firearms held by military personnel. An interim policy will be in effect this summer, with a final policy due in 2011. Currently, many bases have different rules, and the new policy will set a single set of rules regarding personally-owned firearms.
While having a uniform set of rules will make it much easier for servicemen and women to know what is allowed on all bases, the actual rules may not be what anyone wants. Currently, gun registration appears to be a likely base rule. Other restrictive rules are likely.
Much of this was prompted by the shootings at Ft. Hood. If I recall correctly, the shooter was not allowed to carry his personally-owned weapons onto the based and begin killing people. So, more rules are clearly needed.
Here’s an idea: let all service members carry firearms. I know it is a silly concept, letting a soldier have a gun. But, if those soldiers who were attacked had been armed, maybe the number of victims would have been fewer?
Other articles that will amaze you:
- Democrats Afraid of People Carrying Firearms at the Presidential Inauguration
- Firearms Safety
- The NFL’s Anti-Gun Stance: You Better Not Want to Defend Yourself If You Are a Player
- Stop BATFE Abuses: Urge Your Congressman to Cosponsor H.R. 4900 the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Reform and Firearms Modernization Act
- L.A. Continues Chokehold on Gun Rights: Disbar Citizens with Misdemeanor Convictions of Possessing Firearms
Exactly right on arming our soldiers, or at least giving them the option! Knowing you’re going to shoot up a bunch of unarmed people, even soldiers, does not instill fear in the mad man. Knowing you’re going to be confronted almost immediately with deadly force against your homicidal actions is a channel-changer even for the most dedicated killer. And gun registration is always a forerunner to gun confiscation. Ft. Hood was a terrible tragedy, but we should stop creating “safe zones” that are killing fields for the murderers and terrorists that are among us.