47°F
weather icon Clear
Boulder City, NV
Opinion

New gun proposal may reduce suicides

By Chuck N. Baker
November 21, 2024 - 5:02 pm
 

Reducing veteran suicide remains a top priority for Congress, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the veteran community.

I am a strong proponent of doing whatever is necessary to help prevent veterans (and others) from taking their lives. Last year I wrote and recorded a song that I sent to the VA asking them to consider using it for commercials. I had zero response. (Go to “988” on YouTube to hear the song and view a some videos.)

Several veterans’ organizations have been giving out free gun locks at various events, and the gratis offer has been going on for quite some time. I am guessing that many hundreds (thousands?) of such locks have been handed out, and they probably do help in some cases. Yet veteran suicides continue to rise.

Unfortunately, firearms are by far the most prevalent method of veteran suicides, used 72% of the time, a rate that is much higher than non-veteran firearm suicide. One in three veteran firearm owners store at least one firearm unlocked and loaded. This unsafe storage practice is more frequent among veteran firearm owners who seek VA care (38%) than among other veterans who own firearms (31.9%).

Now, the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is calling on its members and supporters to contact their representatives and urge them to co-sponsor and support H.R. 9819, the Saving Our Veterans Lives Act.

The Saving Our Veterans Lives Act would direct the VA to provide eligible veterans with secure storage options for their firearms. The bill also calls for a public education campaign on the availability of these items and on how to use them as a suicide prevention strategy while ensuring the program has no collection of personally identifiable information for tracking firearm ownership, mandatory firearm storage or discouraging lawful firearm ownership.

Experts agree that safe gun storage helps create time and space for a veteran in crisis, and can interrupt the impulse of suicidal thoughts and ideation — giving the person an opportunity to hesitate, reconsider and seek help.

The Disabled American Veterans, a group I am a life member of, supports H.R. 9819, in accordance to the organization’s Resolution Number 224, that calls for program improvement and enhanced resources for VA mental health programs and suicide prevention efforts. I urge readers to support the act, that hopefully will save more lives.

MOST READ
THE LATEST
bcr default image
Veterans strike out for housing
By Chuck N. Baker

Tunnel to Towers Foundation is a longtime organization dedicated to building low-cost housing for needy veterans around the nation.

bcr default image
Resolve to be resolute
By Rod Woodbury

January is the traditional time for setting New Year’s resolutions.

bcr default image
Council meetings explained
By Tami McKay City Clerk

Boulder City is committed to maintaining openness and transparency. City council meetings are critical to our democracy. The city council is the legislative body that discusses and makes decisions on issues affecting our city. The purpose of a city council meeting is to enact ordinances, appropriate funds, set priorities, and establish policies.

bcr default image
Unclogging a drain can be as simple as boiling water
By Norma Vally

Seems like every time I visit my brother in California I end up doing a DIY project. This holiday was no different. While I love helping out with projects, especially since they’re great teaching moments for the kids, I didn’t plan on spending hours on the guest bathroom floor unclogging drains.

bcr default image
A personal milestone 40 years in the making
By Ron Eland

First off, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas yesterday and have a very happy, healthy and safe New Year ahead.

bcr default image
The gift that keeps on giving
By Eric Lundgaard

Isn’t this the time of year we want to show love to our fellow human beings?

bcr default image
Veteran caregivers hope for financial boost
By Chuck N. Baker

Much has been spoken and written about in recent months about military and veteran caregivers, and the responsibilities they are charged with.

bcr default image
City’s enduring dedication to historic preservation
By Rod Woodbury

The true spirit of Christmas has always been more about giving than getting. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son … .” (John 3:16). Yet too many of us increasingly focus on the receiving side of that equation.

bcr default image
City’s enduring dedication to historic preservation
By Nakeisha Lyon City Planner

The Boulder City Historic District embodies the unique historic, architectural, and cultural heritage that defines our community. The area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is comprised of more than 500 residential and commercial buildings from the city’s formative years (1931–1945), reflecting its construction and early operational phase of Hoover Dam. Recognizing the district as a valuable community asset, the city later created the Historic District, regulations and various resources to ensure the preservation and improvement of its historic buildings.