Everyone who carries a firearm comes to the decision to carry via his or her own path. I’m fortunate in that mine has been a positive one, not one of violence and fear.
I did not grow up with guns. My dad had a WWII era rifle. He said never to touch it, so I didn’t. Late in life, after she passed away, I learned that my grandmother had been a rifle instructor. I wish I’d known earlier.
I’d always wanted to learn to shoot, because even if I never owned a gun, I figured everyone should at least know how to use one and know how one works in case there was ever a need. I don’t know where that idea came from, but it’s always felt important. Firearms shouldn’t be feared. They are tools.
For various reasons — time, weird roommates, residence, laws of particular areas — I put learning off. A couple of years ago, things fell into place, and I knew I had the time to train properly and the space to properly store. Training was and is important. I did not want a firearm around if I didn’t know how to use it. I researched various firearms and decided on a rifle first — a Ruger 10/22. It’s American-made, gentle on a beginner, and pretty.
For training, I used the NRA’s web site and found a teacher for a private class. I wanted to be able to ask questions and, if necessary, focus on particular aspects. This turned out to be a great idea, because we ended up ahead of schedule until I was trying to put the rifle I’d disassembled back together. We ended up needing four hands to get the sucker back together thanks to a spring. Afterwards, the teacher also went shopping with me for ammo.
And hell yes! I became a gun nut with the first trigger pull! I loved that first day at the range. And I’ve loved every trip thereafter. Shooting is fun, relaxing, and makes me feel confident and strong. There is a kind of zen in shooting. I really noticed it when I was working with one of the instructor’s rifles while he chatted with a friend. It was just me, my breath, the rifle, and my target. The noise around disappeared, and I focused. The result made me proud. I want to get into sport shooting. And I kinda would like to bag a turkey for Thanksgiving.
I also signed up for an Appleseed weekend. I’d heard about Appleseed on TV a few years prior and wanted to do that “someday.” Go here to learn more about it: http://www.appleseedinfo.org . This ties in to another reason for wanting to learn how to use firearms. It is our right and our duty. I’ll go into this more in another post, but simply, the Second Amendment lays out our right to keep and bear arms. This right has nothing to do with hunting or sporting. It is to protect this nation and her people from foreign governments and her own should the government go off its rocker. We may not ever need to exercise this right for its intended purpose, but we need to keep up our abilities as a people to do so and to train our children to do so. We need to remember our own history and the histories of other nations.
Finally, there’s also the issue of self-defense. I live in a safe neighborhood, in a building that’s fairly secure, on a floor above ground level, behind a strong door with a good lock. The likelihood of a break-in is not great, but it’s always a possibility. Our building is surrounded by a woodline; I’ve seen foxes and coyote there and evidence of people. I’m at work after dark, sometimes alone, frequently. The lot is dark and isolated. In broad daylight I’ve been approached in the lot by a man taller by a foot and a half, outweighing me by at least 100 pounds wanting money. I’ve been followed in other neighborhoods in which I’ve lived. I’ve had a pervert run his hand up my thigh on the train. (I, in my long, formal, pink silk gown, decked him.) By virtue of my gender, I am a target. I refuse to be an easy target. I love my life, and I will defend it.
So, it’s desire, enjoyment, right and duty, and self-defense that lead me to own and carry firearms. What about you?
The Boston's Bark 