In the light of the recent mass shootings, I am reprinting my post from June 19, 2017. Sadly, two years later…and nothing has changed! DDWS

Gun control is an issue that truly challenges my sense of logic. I do not understand how so many people have legal access to weapons and go on to commit murder. The vetting system must be very similar to the one used to select Trump’s administration and cabinet.

I am not opposed to gun ownership for hunting that is legalized. The “hunter and gatherer” instinct is one that I really appreciate in those individuals that still feel the call. My favorite uncle was a Game Warden in the Black Hills of SD. He had a gun for every season.

He never used a semi-automatic rifle when hunting Bambi’s dad, and he never quieted Thumper with a gun that had a silencer. He entered the “hunt” with an appropriate weapon for hunting the “in season” prey. His favorite part was hunting on “their turf” and absorbing the nature around him. It was as fair a fight as he could create.

As a true hunter, his goal was to bring home the venison and he did, which we all enjoyed…in many forms…for a very long time.

I would never want to take this experience from anyone. Think about it. If we didn’t kill the deer, we’d be watching “Planet of the Elk”.

His job was that of an “Animal & Nature Cop”.  His responsibility was protecting endangered plants, sites and animals. I’m thinkin’ we should add Human Beings to that “Endangered Species List”.

As for self-defense, I again just believe we must re-evaluate not eliminate this “right” and reason to own a gun. When the authors of the Second Amendment in The Bill of Rights wrote it, they were in a different time and a different world. Face it, if you need a semi-automatic weapon to protect your home, you should probably move. In today’s world, they may have qualified which “arms” you could own and required you to take the CLEE test before issuing you a license.

CLEE is an anagram for Compassion, Logic, Education and Experience. It’s a test that is conceptually mine, and still needs creation and legislation.  I believe if someone scores 80% or above in at least 3 of these categories, they’ll probably be approved.

The Education and Experience segments are questions specific to whatever it is that you are getting a license for. (ex: Do you know how to use a gun? and, What have you done with guns before?). The Compassion and Logic are general human nature questions (ex: Do you value human life? and, Why is is bad to hurt other people?).

The way the world is going, we may need this test for drivers licenses too.

This makes sense to me more than whatever the system is now. I don’t want to take people’s gun rights away, I just want the right people to get them.

I know my concept has an ice cube’s chance in Hell to ever  materialize under Trump. Face it, if there’d been a CLEE test for “presidential candidates” he would’ve scored low, if at all, in all categories.  Regardless, , he still would have gone on to get elected…while we waited for him to release his test results.