David Petraeus and other veterans launch group to reduce gun violence

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

David Petraeus and other veterans launch group to reduce gun violence

The Veterans Coalition for Common Sense launched on Friday with
the goal of pushing US lawmakers to enact more legislation to prevent
gun tragedies

Amanda Holpuch in New York
Friday 10 June 2016 18.16 BST

Former CIA director David Petraeus and retired US army Gen Stanley McChrystal are part of a new veterans initiative to reduce gun violence.

The Veterans Coalition for Common Sense launched on Friday at an event in Washington DC. The group’s goal is to push lawmakers to enact more legislation to prevent gun tragedies while adhering to the gun ownership rights protected by the second amendment.

The coalition’s advisory committee includes 23 veterans from every branch of the military, including Petraeus, McChrystal and former NSA director Michael Hayden.

“This is a group of leaders who support the second amendment and who believe in the rights of responsible people, law-abiding people, to own guns,” said Mark Prentice, communications director of Americans for Responsible Solutions, the parent group of the initiative.

Retired Nasa astronaut and navy veteran Capt Mark Kelly pioneered the initiative as co-founder of Americans for Responsible Solutions. His wife, congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, co-founded the advocacy group, which seeks to improve gun control laws, while respecting constitutionally protected rights.

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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jun/10/david-petraeus-mark-kelly-reduce-gun-violence-military-veterans-launch-initiative

[flamin lib]

1. With 22 vets killing themselves every day and guns being the method of choice

this is a 'support the troops' movement.

We should all get behind it.

[TeddyR]

2. I'm interested in seeing their proposals

Before I jump on board.

[sarisataka]

3. The details

Will tell if this is a serious attempt to address veterans suicide or is it simply all about guns. Since two-thirds of Veteran suicides involving guns it is logical to look at that factor but will the other third be addressed?

[pablo_marmol]

4. +1 NT

[theatre goon]

5. There is also the question...

...of whether the two-thirds who do use firearms would have used some other method if a firearm is not available.

If so, then "gun control" would have no impact on suicide.

So far, I have never seen any indication that lack of a firearm would actually prevent someone intent on committing suicide from simply using another method. I have seen many claims of such, but never any actual evidence.

[benEzra]

6. Is this another Bloomberg-funded group?

If it is, they will probably echo his call for handgrip shape restrictions and magazine bans, rather than anything useful, but we'll see.