Guns, guns and more guns. Pick up any newspaper or listen to
any newscast, you undoubtedly will learn of an incident involving
a gun.
The
proliferation of guns in our society makes our country appear
as a war zone. One can only speculate about how many
Americans are carrying a gun – and why.
I
once carried a handgun while working as a law enforcement
officer. Unlike some officers, I couldn’t wait to
remove my gun and lock it up in a safe place. When off
duty, I never
kept it in a drawer in the bedroom or in a cabinet over
the head of my bed. My guns were never left where my children
or anyone else could get them and my ammunition was stored
separately.
Today, it is not unusual to hear of youngsters taking guns
to school. Injury and death have resulted from a child not
realizing the danger of handling a gun. We read tragic stories
of children shooting themselves, a friend, sibling or even
a parent. Most cases are accidental but occasionally there
is intent to harm or kill. Outcomes are devastating; to relatives
of the person shot and certainly for the one who pulled the
trigger.
A
few years ago, I took a few handguns to a person advertising
they were a gun collector. I showed him my guns and
we agreed upon a value for them and he laid the amount on
the counter.
When I produced copies of my gun registrations, he
picked
up his money and said, “Forget it, I don’t want registered
guns.” For years I owned long guns, such as rifles
and shotguns, which I used for hunting. When not in
use, they were
encased, unloaded, disabled and the shells were kept
in a separate, locked container. All were out of the
reach
of
any children.
The rapid increase in gun sales, although intended to be controlled
by permits and registration laws, is alarming. Laws are abused
and ignored by persons anxious to obtain a gun but not wanting
to be responsible for its use.
I
don’t understand why any citizen feels the need to
carry a handgun, especially one not registered. Women were
once known to fear guns but in our new age, they are purchasing,
learning to shoot and registering to carry guns. They attend
special classes for “ladies only” to
be educated about how to fire and care for their
handguns.
Classes that teach you how to handle a gun are expensive, but
few teach anyone how dangerous carrying a gun really is. Sure,
you can be taught how to hold, aim and shoot a loaded handgun
but no one can teach you how it feels to hold a loaded gun
pointed at a live target. It takes more than lessons to accomplish
this.
I
knew a law enforcement instructor who expressed during gun-handling
classes: “A drawn gun is highly dangerous unless you
are certain you intend to use it.” A foe with a gun,
who never intended to shoot you, may do so if they see your
gun. They can’t read your mind anymore than you can read
theirs. If you’re facing an intruder or thief that also
has a gun and you point yours — you may
cause them to shoot you even if neither of
you had any
intention of pulling
the trigger.
Frequent mistakes made by intended gun buyers are the actual
guns they purchase. Keep in mind, the sales person is simply
trying to make a living. If you imply you want an inexpensive,
small gun, they will not turn a sale away. You will go away
with a small caliber gun that may have a very limited distance
of accuracy. As I see it, men or women who carry a small gun
in their glove box or console are not protecting themselves.
When they reach for that gun, they become more vulnerable than
protected.
Carrying
a handgun in a car, especially if you are a short-tempered
person, may cause
you to
make a
move you
could regret the
rest of your life — which may not
be long. Let law enforcement handle the
handguns,
they
are trained
to do
so.