By: Richard L. Smith
Info. Credit: NJ.com
I recently renewed my New Jersey permit to carry a handgun for the second time, and I have to say the experience was outstanding. My local police department and the New Jersey State Police handled the process professionally, respectfully, and efficiently. 
As a law-abiding gun owner, I appreciated that the process balanced public safety with my constitutional rights.
I’ve always believed that responsible citizens should have the right to own firearms. That belief hasn’t changed.
What has changed is that, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve found myself asking more questions than giving answers.
This week, those questions resurfaced after reading about the federal appeals court decision that struck down New Jersey’s ban on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, ruling that the restrictions violated the Second Amendment.
The decision has once again placed New Jersey, and the country. in the middle of one of the most emotional debates in America.
Around the same time, I had a long conversation with one of my best friends, Troye, from South Jersey. We both support the Second Amendment. We both believe responsible gun ownership is important.
Yet, despite agreeing on so much, we found ourselves looking at this issue through two very different lenses.
Troye believes the phrase “assault weapon” has become heavily politicized. He argues that millions of Americans legally own these firearms, use them responsibly, and have never harmed anyone.
From his perspective, the media often associates these rifles almost exclusively with horrific crimes, creating an image that doesn’t represent the overwhelming majority of lawful gun owners. His point made me stop and think.
After all, I’ve spent more than 35 years in television news and broadcasting.
I’ve covered shootings, crime scenes, grieving families, police investigations, and breaking news that most people only see for a few minutes on television. Those images stay with journalists, too. When you spend decades reporting on tragedies involving a particular type of firearm, it’s fair to ask whether those experiences shape the way you see that firearm.
Troye believes they do. And, honestly, he may have a point.
But then there’s another part of my life that also shapes how I think.
For more than two decades , I stood in front of classrooms as a public school teacher in New Jersey. Every lockdown drill at Arts High School in Newark, every news alert about another school shooting, every conversation with fellow teachers reminded us that we had one responsibility above all else, to protect our students if the unthinkable ever happened.
I’d be lying if I said the thought never crossed my mind.
There were times I quietly wondered whether someone could walk into my school carrying one of these weapons. I thought about my students. I thought about my own safety. I thought about the responsibility teachers carry that extends far beyond teaching math, English, or history.
Was that fear fair? Hmm, I honestly don’t know.
Maybe it was influenced by the years I spent reporting on horrible shootings. Maybe it was influenced by the responsibility I felt every day as a teacher. Maybe it was simply human nature.
What I do know is that it was real.
That’s why I struggle with this issue.
To be fair I’ve had my share of covering stories of assault weapons being used unlawfully that claimed lives around the state but the scale kinda balanced between the types of guns used.
I don’t want to lose my Second Amendment rights. I believe responsible gun owners should not be punished for the actions of criminals. At the same time, I understand why parents, teachers, law enforcement officers, and survivors of mass shootings have concerns when they hear the words “assault weapon.”
Both perspectives come from real experiences.
Supporters of the recent court ruling argue that constitutional rights shouldn’t disappear simply because a firearm has become controversial (NJ.com 7-17-2026).
They point out that the Second Amendment protects firearms that are commonly owned for lawful purposes and believe government restrictions have gone too far.
Those who support New Jersey’s ban see things differently. They argue that firearms capable of accepting large-capacity magazines have been used in some of the nation’s deadliest mass shootings and believe limiting access could reduce the severity of those attacks or save lives.
If I had to break this down as a teacher to my former students during a “teachable moment” session; BOTH sides believe they’re protecting Americans.
Yup, one believes they’re protecting constitutional freedom.
The other believes they’re protecting public safety.
And maybe that’s why this conversation has become so difficult.
What I appreciated most about my conversation with Troye wasn’t that either of us changed the other’s mind. It was that we listened. We challenged one another respectfully. There were no insults (though I LOVE “busting his chops”. No accusations. Just two friends trying to understand an issue that doesn’t have easy answers.
As a broadcaster and journalist, I believe facts matter. As a retired teacher, I know safety matters.
As a responsible gun owner, I believe constitutional rights matter.
Those three parts of my life don’t always point me in the same direction, and maybe that’s okay.
This isn’t an article meant to tell you what to believe. It’s simply an honest reflection of where I stand today.
I still support the Second Amendment. I still believe in responsible gun ownership.
I also still think about the students I taught for over two decades and wonder whether there is a way to better protect our schools without unnecessarily infringing on the rights of responsible citizens. IF what they say about assault weapons are unbiased.
I really don’t have the perfect answer.
Maybe none of us do.
So instead of ending with a conclusion, I’d rather end with a question.
Where do you stand?
Can we protect the constitutional rights of responsible gun owners while continuing to search for meaningful ways to reduce gun violence and make our schools safer?
I’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts. Let’s have the kind of conversation my friend Troye and I had—respectful, thoughtful, and willing to listen before we respond.