I was asked recently by a friend in The US what my opinion is on guns. I don't feel that is a fair question, it's like asking a man his opinion on meat or cars, so I answered "yes, please." I think he meant to ask about gun control, which is a more complex question and requires a more involved answer, much like asking a man about his opinion on rear wheel drive vs front wheel drive, or the merits and demerits of non-cow meat in sausages.
As I left a meeting the other day, one of the people I met with noticed my gun tucked into my pants and commented,"I didn't know you carried, is that because of where you live?" I find it funny that most people think I live in the "Wild West" just because I live over the green line. I answered that the fact that I live in a settlement has very little bearing on my decision to carry a gun, although it did make it easier to get a gun license. I grew up around guns. My grandfather was a cop, he always carried a gun, had at least one other locked in the house, and had a shotgun in the trunk. He was a great example of responsible gun ownership. I feel safer having guns around rather than not having guns around.
Here in Israel, the laws are very different than they are in the US. While it may seem that the entire country is armed, the fact is that most of the guns you see while walking around are rifles carried by soldiers. Private citizens are basically prohibited from owning any sort of rifle, unless they are in the security services, ie army, police, or municipal first responders (kitat konenut). To be able to own a handgun, you must first show need, then pass a background check, then take a safety course and pass an accuracy test, which you need to renew every few years. Then you receive your license on the specific handgun you applied for. With all of these checks in place, there is very little gun violence in this country. In every school there is at least one armed guard. In my son's school, several of the teachers and administrators are armed as well. All of this makes the school more secure, not less secure. Guns are not any more dangerous than anything else, the danger is irresponsibility. My gun is on me at all times, if it's not, it's locked away. My children have been made to understand that they are never ever allowed to touch a gun. They see guns around, they play soldier like all kids do, but they know to never touch the real thing. That is how kids here are raised. They understand that guns are not toys, and their purpose is only for self defense. As observant Jews, since we can't eat meat that wasn't slaughtered in a very specific way, we don't hunt, so our children don't see guns used recreationally.
With that being said, I like guns, and am not opposed to properly thought out and enforced gun control, as long as it allows for responsible ownership and freedom to carry. I find target shooting relaxing and stress relieving. I respect the craftsmanship of a well designed and built firearm. And I don't understand Jews who adverse to gun-ownership. After 2000 years of persecution, pogroms, and The Holocust, I would think that Jews would be the top buyers of guns for self-defense wherever they could. But surprisingly, I hear more anti-gun sentiment from Jews in the diaspora than anyone else. I guess I have a better understanding of why the Jews had to wander in the desert for 40 years before entering Israel, they needed to grow a generation of leaders who weren't former slaves. They needed people who didn't grow up being told that they had no rights and no ability to defend themselves. The same thing applies today, we will only be able to be a truly strong nation when we raise a generation of leaders who believe in a strong Israel, who didn't grow up ruled by other nations. I hope to raise my children to be among that generation.
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