A community forum in Staunton discussed patriotism, liberty, and the second amendment on Saturday at the Booker T. Washington Center. The second amendment, and more specifically, confusion surrounding its efficacy in regards to safety, was hotly contested.
According to Jim Wood, a firearms instructor and NRA member that preaches safety, guns often end up in the wrong hands due to state databases not being up to date.
"The officials who do the background checks the Virginia State Police as a whole is so shorthanded that you know it’s hard for them to be as efficient at the peak of efficiency as they should be," said Wood.
Both Wood and Waynesboro Commonwealths Attorney David Ledbetter agreed people with mental health problems should neither be granted permission to purchase nor own a gun.
Ledbetter says identifying people with mental health issues is one step to preventing school shootings and making sure there are armed professionals on staff in case of an emergency is another.
"I’m not advocating for arming teachers, but [what] I am advocating for is that there [should] be some type of armed individual, security guard, additional police officers, what[ever] it takes to be able to respond when there is a live shooter," said Ledbetter.
Panelists encouraged those in attendance to communicate with their elected officials given that the officials are the ones responsible for making lasting change.
"It’s important for everyone to hear all of the aspects of gun ownership,” said Jennifer Kitchen, the event organizer. “Not everyone that owns a gun owns automatic weapons, not everyone who owns a gun supports the NRA."
