The Alec Baldwin Gun-Safety Act

Among the most stunning aspects of the Alec-Baldwin-related homicide, for those of us in the firearms industry and community, was the nearly total lack of understanding mass media and its followers exhibited about firearms. Even questions they asked left knowledgeable people slack jawed. How could real reporters not know blanks and live ammo look different? You don't look down the barrel to see if it's loaded, thank you MSNBC. Only total inexperience can leave you wondering if a round you fire is blank—the sound and recoil are obvious. Gun ownership describes half the nation, but that's apparently non-inclusive of news professionals, who you could tell never even held a gun, let alone practiced. Can the failure be attributed to public teachers' unions? Public school teachers basically forbid gun safety, or even saying "gun," for anyone seeking a diploma.

With the tragedy at the "Rust" movie set, where ignorance of safety was so evident, California (and all states) should be introducing bills to require any person on the set of a theatrical production, to have successfully completed a program in gun safety—including discharge of live ammunition loaded in a firearm safely aimed at a target. Being present without having taken a suitable class is a Class 1 misdemeanor on a first offense, and requires one-half day of ceased operations to self-evaluate all set safety features, not just firearms. The offender is removed from the set and

Responding to arguments that everyone should be compelled to such gun-safety programs, not just Hollywood denizens, JPFO might agree—if it's part of a requirement for a high school diploma like English and math. Refusal by schools to do so in our gun-prevalent society is virtually deliberate negligence. As a requirement for gun ownership in general though, there is qualitative difference between job requirements, and exercise of fundamental rights, which must be uninfringed.

Read real gun safety rules here

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