Unbased First Published on 11/25/2025
Let’s make Honorable Discharges from United States armed forces serve as concealed carry permits for firearms. Far as I know all services require training in use and maintenance of firearms in their basic training cycles.. Let’s give Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Coast Guard refresher courses, particularly to handguns, prior to final separation from service.
I’m not talking about police or law enforcement training. No organized, trained cohesive force to hunt down criminals. I’m talking about individuals who go about normal life with ability to defend themselves and folks for whom they care.
Psychological screening for gun owners? Much has been said about requirements for such testing before permits to carry guns in public are issued. Guns don’t kill people. People kill people. Be sure people with guns ready for use have been thoroughly tested for psychological problems before they are allowed to carry firearms in public. If a person has been tested and found capable of defending America then that’s as good as it gets in psych testing for civilian gun possession.
Terrorist and deadly criminal acts generally happen before organized police or military forces are on the scene. Blood is flowing on floors and streets before forces arrive in full battle rattle to identify and sweep up perpetrators. Time to stop killing from happening is before killing gets a good start. Terrorists need to know that first shot fired will likely draw trained return fire.
Sure there are likely to be mistakes made. Targeted shooter terrorist may be missed and innocent bystander may be hit. Laws must take such honest errors into account when prosecuting shooters. Still, one or two innocent’s lives may be a small price to pay for saving dozens of hostages. Much as we’d like to, there is no way I can think of to save everybody connected with wanton acts of lawless perpetrators.
Return fire doesn’t need to be coordinated with orders shouted and radios squawking. Simple, fast reaction from multiple quarters should be effective in stopping bad guys. Their fear of unknown opposition will be greater than fear of uniformed highly trained forces which aren’t on the scene yet.
Passports, databases, profiles, screenings etc. are effective in limiting movement of terrorists through society. Intrusive profiling, highly debated in free society, is effective in identifying untold numbers of would-be killers. Still, no definitive procedure, except individual electronic/physical screening exists to detect firearm. Possession in large random gatherings such as America’s constitution allows. Sporting events, random gatherings in restaurants, open air political rallies and concerts are hard to monitor. Any large gathering is terrorist fodder.
If political placation is necessary, states may still be allowed to issue concealed carry permits as they do now. Honorable Discharges would be national permits, good in any jurisdiction in America. Prove you have honorably served your country and gain the right to carry firearms at your discretion.
Evidence of mental instability should act to have carry privileges removed. Acts which strongly suggest changing patterns of poor judgement should lead to removal. Domestic violence should be grounds for stripping concealed carry permission.
I don’t believe we can stop terrorists and street criminals by following them around cleaning up after them. We need to identify and stop them right up front. We’ll lose a few innocents before the bad guys fall, but longer run we’ll lose less with early intervention. Honorable Discharge firearm permits will give America best mentally screened and capable early action/reaction form available.
