The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer. Abraham is a state representative from Tucson and a candidate for the Arizona Senate in Legislative District 18:
The first time I ever shot a gun was in basic training for the Army. Not only did the Army give me an education on the many practical aspects of guns, but much more importantly, my experience ingrained in me a complete respect and clear perspective on how to interact with them. And I think Arizona, and America, can learn from that example.
First, I learned that we donβt call them guns. We either call them by their type β pistol, rifle β or more often, we call them βweaponsβ to emphasize the power of these devices. If you want to get yelled at in basic training, just use the word βgunβ around your drill sergeant β I certainly learned the hard way not to make that mistake.
I remember feeling scared and nervous before pulling the trigger for the first time. But not because this was my first time touching a firearm. These feelings arose from the fact that the I had just spent 16 hours a day studying, learning about, and training to use a weapon. I read manuals on the rate of fire, distance, and bullet velocity at which these weapons shoot. I saw pictures of real-life battlefield damage these weapons do. I trained on dummy weapons and even trained on high-tech simulators, all before I ever fired a real bullet.
Looking back, what the Army was doing with all this training was building a culture of respect for these weapons that is built from an understanding of the power they hold and the responsibility that comes with having access that power. That culture of respect is supported by policies. Hereβs how they do it.
To start, every single soldier is vetted and background checked before they even step foot at basic training, and we are regularly checked up on after that.
We are required to re-qualify on our weapon systems every single year, with days of training and shooting practice each time. Like clockwork, we train and train again to ensure our competency.
We also undergo constant screening for mental health. In my basic training class, we had a solider get red flagged for a mental health issue. I watched as the very first thing the drill sergeant did was separate that soldier from their weapon. Only then did they address the solider.
We store our weapons like they are gold. We have alarm systems around our weapons vault, and if those alarms ever fail, we post soldiers to guard the vault 24 hours a day. If a weapon is missing on base, everything stops, everywhere, until the search is complete and successful. It literally becomes our top priority.
From my training to my current service, the Army has provided me with a firsthand view of what commonsense gun laws look like in practice β background checks, training, red flag procedures, and safe storage requirements.
The measures arenβt based on a dislike or opposition to gun ownership. Quite the opposite β theyβre based on respect for the power these weapons have. And the finest defensive force in the world has decided that guns and these policies go hand in hand.
I think we can learn from them to make our state a better place. Commonsense gun policies work in the Army to make us effective and keep us safe. They can work in Arizona too.
