Santa Fe shooting reignites gun law debate

We need to prevent unqualified people from gaining access to military-grade weapons designed for combat

For the past 34 years, I’ve carried a gun as part of my work to defend the U.S. Constitution.

My deep respect for the rights we all share has been shaped during more than 25 years in the Texas Department of Public Safety, including serving as chief of the Texas Rangers, and now as president of my own private security firm.

Despite having risked my life defending our Constitutional rights — including the right to legally possess firearms — I now stand convinced that we must change our country’s gun laws for the good of us all: We, the people.

This is not a position I take lightly. My father was a Marine and a supervisor with the Texas Department of Corrections who carried a gun. I spent countless days as a kid in South Texas hunting with my rancher uncles, who still openly carry weapons to protect themselves and their property.

My brother recently retired after a long, proud career as a police officer. My son is a Marine veteran who defended our country in Iraq. He’s now a Texas Ranger and carries a gun every day to protect fellow Texans.

I know the important role legal firearms play in our society, but I’ve also been there for scenes like we all saw following the recent killings at Santa Fe High School.

I was at the scene during the shootout and fire in Waco that killed nearly 80 people.

I was in Fort Davis for the Republic of Texas standoff, which ended with their surrender and the death of one of their followers. We found enough bombs and ammunition to support an army.

I was in Atascosa County nearly 20 years ago when three officers were murdered and two others were shot by a man who had several high-powered rifles. He killed himself as we were closing in.

I have seen with my own eyes the destruction caused by dangerous, man-killing weapons, including guns with high-capacity magazines. Who can reasonably argue that someone needs a magazine that holds 30 rounds of ammunition for hunting deer?

Our laws reasonably agree that you are free to own a pistol to protect your home, and a rifle and shotgun to hunt. I’m saying we need changes to the law that would prevent unqualified people from having access to military-grade weapons designed for killing multiple adversaries in combat.

If you want to possess a more dangerous weapon, a man-killing weapon, then we should demand that you have a proper license. Such a license may include requirements for training, drug testing and continuing education.

If you do something adverse to the safety of others, like being chronically intoxicated or committing domestic violence, then you should lose your license because we, the people, cannot trust you. We must prevent these weapons from ending up in the hands of people who are bent on taking lives.

Events like Santa Fe and last year’s church shooting in Sutherland Springs are devastating to the surviving families, their communities and society in general. No one should have to go through that.

Since last year, Texas has seen four mass killings that claimed 49 lives and injured more than 40 others. It is heartbreaking and chilling how routine these tragedies have become despite our shared outrage. That is why now is the time for us to stand up and reclaim our rights and privileges as guaranteed by the Constitution.

My decision to support stricter standards for gun possession is not publicly shared by many people who I know and love. A lot of those who agree with me are afraid to say so for various reasons. Regardless, I can no longer endorse the status quo, which makes access to a dangerous weapon easier than applying for a driver’s license.

Through the years, our country has matured and evolved in many ways. That includes changes to our laws that have been demanded by we, the people, by clarifying ambiguity, conforming to present truths, and following what we know to be right.

When the law no longer protects our right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” decency demands that we responsibly challenge the status quo by making much-needed changes.