The Very Good Reasons You Can't Open Carry Guns On A Military Base

[votesparks]

The U.S. Military doesn't allow every single soldier to carry loaded weapons on base, and there's a very good reason for this. The cases of accidental shootings, and even mass shootings due to a psychotic snap would greatly increase. American society could take a clue from the U.S. military on how to properly safeguard deadly force.

[Eleanors38]

1. Thanks for the post. Properly securing firearms in the home

Is a priority. Even though the National Safety Council reports that accidental deaths of children by firearms are declining and are well below other causes like electrocution and drowning, there is always room for improvement. Good security also reduces gun theft.

[TheDeputy]

2. Would lead to an increase in mass shootings.

I have noted that multiple-victim mass homicides tend to be in places where there are not supposed to be guns.

Fort Hood, Schools, Aurora Theatre, colleges all come to mind. Representative Giffords is an obvious anomaly to the trend.

This leads me, and others who study such things, to conclude that the best way to protect our children is with force.

As a professional law enforcement officer of some years experience, I want people with guns protecting my daughters. The person doesn't have to be a cop, it can be the science teacher or the janitor.

As far as soldiers carrying their rifles on base? Never happen except in a war zone. Rifles are for when you are expecting trouble. Pistols are for when you are not. Rifles are unwieldy to just carry around in a low or no threat environment.

[zipplewrath]

6. Classic statistical fallacy

I believe you are indulging in a classic statistical fallacy of correlation and causation. The reason that mass killings "tend to be in places where thare are not supposed to be guns" is because mass killings tend to be where there are massive numbers of people. In those locations, guns are often limited or "banned". In part this is true because they would be of limited use because they cannot be safely used without serious threat of harming innocents. It isn't clear that the addition of guns would either render them safer, or less of a target for the attackers.

You refer to Giffords as an "anomaly" but quite the opposite, it fits in well. Well in the sense that there were guns there (and at other mall attacks) but the CCW holders chose not to use them for fear of being mistaken for the attacker. An incident here wound up with a dead police officer in just such a situation. An undercover officer drew his weapon when attacked, only to be shot dead by a uniformed officer who showed up.

Guns in crowded environments are problematic, even for those well trained in their use. Unfortunately, crowded environments also tend to attrack attackers who seek to kill large numbers of people. It is a problem. But it is not a problem that is clearly solved by putting more guns there. There are multiple examples of attackers in crowded areas being stopped by unarmed people. If there are solutions here, beyond just making sure that attackers find it difficult to become armed, it is configuring infrastructure which allows the gunman to be quickly isolated away from large numbers of people. Farely achievable in an environment like a school building (fire codes already provide for something like this). A bit harder in a football stadium.

[pasto76]

7. why is giffords an anomoly

your post really doesnt make all that much sense. "where guns arent supposed to be"

ft hood? you have any idea how many weapons are on that post?

your comment about rifles being 'too unwieldy' is quite a stretch. I carried mine for 16 months an never batted an eye.

the OP is bunk too, not all mass shootings involve a 'psychotic break', clinically speaking.

man-baby temper tantrum with an assault rifle, yes.

[ret5hd]

3. So the way it works out is...

that if you are a member of the highly trained military, surrounded by other members of the highly trained military you are protected (in theory anyway) from having to deal with some pycho...

BUT IF I GO TO THE G*##!*%$ CORNER STARBUCKS, I GOTTA FEND FOR MYSELF.

Somehow, that doesn't seem to make much sense.

[billh58]

4. Another aspect of

this policy by the military is accountability. A lost, or "missing" weapon is a very big deal in the military, so they are kept in an armory, and must be accounted for at all times when taken from the armory. Admittedly, there are a few thefts from military armories, but nothing compared to the criminal access pipeline that is the civilian weapons stockpile.

Along with the repeal of public carry laws for civilians, national registration and universal background checks are a must if we are to even begin to reverse the endemic public health issue caused by gun violence in this country.

[votesparks]

5. AMEN!

Amen!