Former Navy SEAL and NRA News Commentator Dom Raso succinctly and cogently responded to an editorial in the Daily Beast by a fellow Navy veteran, Shawn VanDiver.
VanDiver, a security professional, weapons system technician, base police officer, firearms instructor, and self-described “proud gun owner” offers the following suggestions to help reduce gun-related violence in the article:
- “Background checks and mental health evaluations for all gun owners, on a five-year verification cycle, would be a great first step.”
- “Requiring licenses and negligent discharge insurance would be part of common sense reform. Much like vehicles—which are also key pieces of personal property that can take lives when they are operated irresponsibly, firearms should require a license to own and operate.”
- “We should consider putting a cap on the number of firearms purchased for personal use.”
- “At the very least, misdemeanors such as DUIs, drug charges, and white-collar crimes should be added to the list of crimes that preclude offenders from owning firearms.”
- “Opponents will no doubt ask how we intend to pay for all of these new requirements. A tax on ammunition and weapons manufacturers and end-users seems like a relevant place to start.”