Chappell: Here's a reasonable approach to addressing mass shootings in America

I have a reasonable approach to addressing mass shootings in America without the banning of any specific weapon.

Like many other American citizens, I’ve been following the recent upsurge in gun violence and mass shootings, and the current debate over President Biden calling for the banning of all assault rifles, more Red Flag laws, and enhanced mandatory background checks. While I don’t believe banning the sale of any firearm and more Red Flags will do much to address the issue of future mass shootings, I do feel that background checks should be enhanced, by imposing a restriction similar to what 90% of our Law Enforcement agencies already have in place.

Before even being admitted into a law enforcement training academy to become a peace officer, most jurisdictions require all applicants to pass a specific set of tests and exams. These tests are not only physical in nature, but they also evaluate a candidates mental state. In other words, in order to become a police officer, the candidate must possess both the physical and mental ability to be employed within this public service sector.

It seems logical to me that if we as Americans applied this logic to private gun ownership in the United States it would prove far more effective in reducing gun violence than attempting to ban the purchase any specific weapon. In fact, statistical data indicates that in most mass shooting events, the perpetrator has used a hand gun to carry out their attack, not an assault rifle.

What I’m saying here is, that just like we require of our law enforcement, if we as a nation did a better job of evaluating the mental state of the gun purchaser prior to allowing that individual to own any type of firearm, it would make a far bigger impact on the inappropriate use of a firearm rather than banning the sale of any specific weapon.

It’s entirely reasonable that the purchaser of any firearm undergoes a background check, and if they were also required to pass a “basic psychological examination” prior to purchase, perhaps it would actually have more of an effect on gun violence, and satisfy both sides in this debate.

Of course, this approach to private gun ownership is no guarantee against another future mass shooting event, but it seems logical that it would lessen the chance that any specific individual would be likely to use their firearm inappropriately at the time of purchase.

Editor's note: Dana R. Chappell is a resident of Peoria.