Should I Own a Gun?

0
735

Should I own a gun? Interesting question! The answer, as with many issues in life, is, it depends.

Let me share my thought process around gun ownership, using an analogy, to support this important and personal decision.

When I was about ten years old, my dad bought me a minibike. A year or so later, he bought me a used Honda 50. It was still a mini bike, but it was at the top of the minibike food chain. A couple of years after that, I inherited my dad’s Suzuki 80. A few years later, I moved up to a Honda 175, then on to a Husqvarna 250, then a Honda 250, then a Honda 650. Today I’m in my 50’s, and I ride a Harley Davidson Ultra Glide.

As you can see, I have been in the saddle for literally thousands of hours.

Imagine if you had never ridden and came up to me when you were age 50, and you asked me if you should buy a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Honestly, I’d urge you to think very carefully about that decision. Why? Because I have seen people, usually men, who have never ridden or rode, but it was 35 years back, and now they want to hop on an 800-pound beast with 70 plus horsepower, without the proper training that’s a recipe for disaster.

I’ve advised more than a few folks not to buy a motorcycle because I fear for them. They don’t know what they don’t know about riding. So should you own a gun? Well, indulge me just a little more.

It’s tough to explain to people that much of what I know about riding a motorcycle I learned in the early days of riding on dirt. Those are lessons learned over years of after school hanging with buddies on dirt trails. So many learning’s from those days still apply today. Nevertheless, suppose you tell a guy to go ahead and buy a bike, he’s not going to have the years of riding experience to help him transition to the big bikes of today, especially when he finds himself in a tight spot requiring an instant decision with his new bike.

If I get the sense a guy or gal is willing to get the necessary training at the Motorcycle Safety School and then practice like crazy, I will likely say go for it, but be careful.

I share this extended example as an analogy to gun ownership because many of the same principles apply to deciding whether you should own a gun. I have friends that grew up in a family that always went shooting. The mom and dad taught safe gun use. The kids all knew how to clean their guns safely. I, on the other hand, came from a mostly non-gun toting family. My grandfather had guns, and I went shooting with him a few times with a.22 pistol and a.22 rifles. He taught me how to clean both as well. It was fun. But when he died, so did my access, training, and use of guns. So when I consider the question, should I own a gun, I have to think carefully.

Although I have a few friends who have great comfort around guns born out of a lifetime around them, I do not share that experience. As you might guess, as of this article’s writing, I do not own a gun. I am considering purchasing one. However, just like the guy that rode a mini bike 40 years ago, I don’t know what I don’t know. I have a ton of gun training I need to apply myself to. Sure it can be fun, but to be safe, I can’t cut any corners, and neither can you.

So, we’ve come full circle. Should you own a gun? It depends! By all means, if you plan to purchase some hands-on training and apply yourself, then absolutely, you should explore the gun or guns you like and then buy one or more. But for heaven’s sake, just like a powerful motorcycle, guns deserve lots of respect. Put the time in, learn how to use and clean them. My interest today in owning a firearm or two is twofold. One reason I’m interested in sport shooting… it’s just fun. The other reason, you can probably guess, is for protection, God forbid. I ever need it.

As you may be aware, I am a huge proponent of being prepared for any emergencies. But I’m not a way out there “prepper” like those folks you may have seen on TV. I’m a person that believes in acquiring a modest amount of knowledge at a fair price beforehand and then reasonably applying that knowledge. Gun ownership falls right in line with being prepared.

Although there are times when only a gun will do, there are instances when there is not enough time to get your gun out. For this reason, you may want to look into Target Focus Training. This has nothing to do with gun skills and everything to do with attacking when you are being attacked. Simple Google, Target Focus Training.

As a gun owner, being prepared requires learning how to shoot, clean, and always be safe with the gun. Hopefully, this article gave you some pause, an alternative and perspective on gun ownership (as well as motorcycle ownership), and how to prepare for the future.

Author