A Preliminary Message

Perhaps the areas within conversation concerning firearms and their social, psychological, and environmental implications with the most agitation is concerning the legislative and judicial applications that are implemented and or debated over. At large this is understandable, a law is a solidification of a position with which all under the given jurisdiction must abide in whether personally in agreement or disagreement. Firearms are powerful force that has been used for both good and evil, making the weight of decision paramount and variance of opinion abundant. Furthermore, the United States is built upon a foundation that venerates the right to bear arms, making alterations and or adjustments equally as fundamental. This all in conjunction brings forth a matter that is necessary to clarify, especially in tandem with suicide prevention, yet potentially destructive to rectify. With all this said, it is not my aim here to take a stance but to build an edifying bridge between opinion, bringing forward an area of focus in the midst of the ongoing debate and discussion; lethal means safety and suicide prevention.

The Narrative

Still early into 2025, there are some intriguing proposed bills in the mix within Colorado’s state level legislation that not only posses power in how the handling and purchasing of firearms could potentially change, but so too the continued stratification in opinion concerning firearms, a topic prevalent within this newsletter.

Bill SB25-003, “prohibits knowingly manufacturing, distributing, transferring, selling, or purchasing a specified semiautomatic firearm…” This includes semi-automatic rifles and shotguns along with gas-operated semiautomatic handguns, both of which possessing a detachable magazine. The bill also deems the sale, transfer, and possession of a large capacity magazine (10 + rounds) a class 1 misdemeanor. Accompanying this, there is details proposing certified mandatory firearm safety training prior to the purchasing of a firearm.

It is important to note that 10 rounds is the standard for magazine capacity throughout most firearms, making this bill applicable to not just weaponry that is above standard capacity but also the majority of firearms.

Within our political and jurisdictional sphere, many bills such as this have arrived and departed, either fitting the opinion of elected officials or not so. The point of this weeks newsletter is not to comment on this bill specifically but to employ it to talk about lethality and the turbid perception we have of it concerning firearms.

The Literature

When examining the lethality of firearms, there is an overwhelming perception that military-grade, high-capacity “assault rifles” are the main contributors to gun violence and mass shootings. This is understandable; AR (ArmaLite) platform rifles are widely used by military forces and have become cultural symbols of danger and lethality because they are, indeed, lethal—but perhaps not as much as we believe.

Looking at the modality of firearm per mass shooting from 1982 to2024 the majority of violence has been done by handguns rather than high capacity rifles such as the AR platform.

Case in point, it is much harder to conceal a large rifle platform with optics and accessories than a small handgun that fires at the same capacity, making stealth and lethality greater—both of which are favored in urban areas where most gun violence and mass shootings occur

The Culmination

This bill is an example of a legislative flaw that has occurred for for the past fifty or more years: vagueness for the sake political strategy. Yes, firearm safety edification is and should be a priority so that those who own firearms are safer and smarter with their weapons, but it is important that those facilities are not wielded with an iron fist but rather an open hand. Additionally, embedded within much of this type of legislation is disinformed narratives, which lead voters away from making informed decisions that can save lives toward decisions which may only worsen them.

Suicide is an often overlooked within discussions of gun violence and the lack of transparent, edifying, data driven policy often leads to more lives we cannot afford to lose, focusing on one problem when are back is inadvertently turned to where the real one lies.

Local Initiatives and Involvements

Mental Health and Suicide Prevention 2025 EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN MESA COUNTY Register Here!

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST): March 20-21, September 18-19, November 6-7 This two-day workshop(16 hours) helps participants learn how to prevent suicide by recognizing signs, providing a skilled intervention, and developing a safety plan to keep someone alive.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA): April 11, September 26, October 17, December 5 This eight (8) hour training teaches people how to recognize signs of mental health or substance use challenges in adults, how to offer and provide initial help, and how to guide a person toward appropriate care.

Youth Mental Health First Aid (Youth MHFA): March 7, April 18, August 29 This Six and half (6.5) hour training for adults who regularly interact with people ages 12-18. It introduces common mental health challenges, typical adolescent development, and plan for how to help in crisis and non-crisis situations

Soul Shop™: October 2 This 90-minute workshop equips faith community leaders and other people of faith to train their congregations to minister to those impacted by suicidal desperation.

If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal, call or text 988. The National Suicide Hotline is staffed around the clock with certified members of the American Association of Suicidology. Or the Crisis Text Line, text CO to 741741 from anywhere in the United States, anytime. A live, trained Crisis Counselor receives the text and responds, all from a secure online platform.