It's True, Democrats Want to Take Your Guns

First, full disclosure: I am a gun owner. I passed a background check and legally own a 20 gauge pump-action shotgun that I use to shoot clay pigeons at target ranges. I am not alone. According to a 2013 survey by the National Sporting Goods Association, women's participation in shooting sports increased by 51.5 percent, to just over 5 million women, for target shooting over the last decade. There are a lot of women like me who like to shoot skeet.

In case you are wondering, I am not a member of the NRA.

I believe that gun violence is a plague on our nation. I believe that all gun owners should have to pass a background check, and that a prior record of committing violent crimes is a very good reason for denying one's Constitutional right to own a gun. I have no problem with reasonable waiting periods. I don't understand why anyone needs to own military-style assault weapons, and I think they should be more difficult, if not nearly impossible, to obtain.

I believe that mental illness is also a plague on our nation. Polls show that most, if not all, Americans agree that severely mentally ill people should not have access to guns. The problem is, how do we keep them from getting guns? This is not a problem we're going to solve tomorrow, but there are a few reforms we should consider in the short run.