Lessons In Firearm Ownership (LONG)

[robinsre]

So..I keep watching the news and I see nothing but horror stories about criminals using guns and the horrors that armed individuals can bring. This got me thinking that we don't talk enough about all the good things that firearm ownership brings. I sat down and thought about everything that I had learned from owning and operating my guns and I composed a list of some of the most important life lessons that firearm ownership either taught or reinforced in me. I'm going to rattle off a few things here and I hope some of the rest of you are willing to chime in and append my list. Once I have collected quite a few I think I'm going to write them up in a letter and send them to my Senators and Congressmen.

1) Responsibility - I'm not the same kind of responsibility you have by holding a job or being assigned a project. I'm talking about full accountability for your actions. One of the FIRST lessons you hopefully learn when you own a gun is that you will be held PERSONALLY accountable for every bullet that leaves the muzzle when the gun is in your hands.

2) Temperament - Hopefully this lesson is pondered even before a firearm purchase. When you buy a gun you have to ask yourself "am I sufficiently in control of my emotions to carry a deadly weapon?"

3) Respect - At the core of owning, operating, or even touching a weapon is respect. Respect for the potential for harm that YOU have when the item is in your posession. Respect for the safety of the individuals around you. Respect for your own safety and well being.

4) Humility - No matter how great a shot you are, there is always someone who is better. No matter how much you know, there is always someone who knows more. This is a difficult hurdle for many people to get over but once you accept it and allow yourself to learn from these individuals you have alot more fun and improve yourself in a wide variety of ways.

5) Dedication - This is possibly one of the most prominent lessons of firearm ownership. Noone (at least noone that I know) is a complete natural. Decent marksmanship requires an unmeasurable amount dedication and practice. Even the small level of skill that I have obtained in my short time of pistol ownership has come with a great sense of accomplishment though. This dedication is especially true and evident in most individuals who choose to use their weapons for self defense. The man or woman who uses his or her weapon for self defense knows that their life or the life of others may one day rely not only upon their skill with that weapon but also on their steadfast dedication to cleaning, inspecting, and maintaining their weapon.

5) Self/Environmental Awareness - This lesson is especially true for those who carry their firearms. The presence of a deadly weapon in your home or on your person means that YOU need to be the first person to have access to that weapon at a moments notice. This lesson does not only apply to self defense shooters though. Any shooter who has ever had a Negligent Discharge has likely come to the realization that even a temporary lapse in self awareness could potentially result in a disasterous catastrophe.

6) De-escalation - This is tied pretty intricately with temperament but it is a distinctively different lesson. Regardless of state law I strongly believe that carrying a firearm comes with an inherent moral obligation to try to avoid conflict whenever possible. The ol' fashioned fist fight that may have, at one time, left you with a bloodied nose or a black eye could now leave you or another individual dead. Avoidance and de-escalation are not always options, but when they are options they are the BEST options.

7) Pride - Within reason. A sense of pride comes to me after a long day at the range when I'm covered in grit and carbon black and I reek of gun cleaner but I can display my spotless and shiny pistols to the 'aahs' and 'oohs' of my good friends.

Well, thats just a my two cents on the topic. Take it or leave it and thanks for reading.