Guns; no matter if you love’em, hate’em, or could care less, you should know how to handle them.
Let’s get one thing very clear; I am not trying to change your position on the subject of guns, and I am not taking a stance for or against guns and gun control. Your position on guns should be a well thought out personal decision.
For some the word “Gun” provokes images of evil, violence, or lawlessness. For others, it’s a valued symbol of personal freedom and protection. The truth is that guns are inanimate mechanical objects built to do a specific task, send a projectile in a predetermined direction when their operating mechanisms are engaged. Can they be used to do harm? Yes. Can they be used to do good? Again, yes.
Firearms (i.e. guns) are mechanical devices, not “doers”. The “doer” is the person responsible for the action taking place, in most cases, but not always, the person handling the firearm. The outcome and consequences, whether are good or bad, are the direct result of actions of the doer.
Which brings us to our main point: it is important that every adult to know how to safely handle a gun. The good thing is that it is not rocket science, but common sense.
The four things about guns that EVERYONE should know.
A basic knowledge of guns (what they are and what they are not)
How to safely handle a gun
The basic rules for shooting a gun
How to safely unload and secure common types of guns
The fundamental reason for knowing how to handle a firearm is for the safety of yourself and others. Our society includes law enforcement officers and others whose role is to help protect us. But ultimately, you are responsible for your own safety and well-being. Let me repeat that.
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY.
If you don’t know how to handle a gun, you’re placing your safety in the hands, and at the mercy, of others. There are far too many potential situations where you could find yourself in close proximity to an unattended firearm to assume that someone else will always be available to secure it.
Think about the consequences. Is your unwillingness to understand firearms worth the possible life altering harm that could result from your lack of knowledge?
If you found a firearm at a public park, on the roadside, or on a hiking trail, are you absolutely sure you will be able to contact the authorities? What do you do if you can’t reach them?
What would you do if you found a firearm in a park and had alerted the authorities, but while you are waiting for their arrival, an obviously intoxicated man comes staggering across the park “looking for his gun”?
Are my examples too farfetched? No, they’re both descriptions of actual events.
In summary, forget the hyperbole on either extreme side of the gun issue; they are neither evil or good, they are mechanical devices. However, guns have been, and will continue to be, found in uncommon places. And the time may come where you have to step up and deal with the situation.
A solid knowledge of firearms, how they work, and how to safely secure them is an important life skill that can potentially save lives.