AST (After Sean Taylor)-To gun or not to gun?

[EternalEnigma21]

Originally Posted by mheisig

It works all the time with people who seek out the necessary training. I fail to see what's so hard to grasp about that for most people.

An old adage in the military and law enforcement goes, "You will fight like you train."

So, yes, run out to the local gun show, buy yourself "a nine," toss it in the nightstand having barely familiarized yourself with it and yeah, expect disastrous results.

Being proficient with a firearm, and by proficient I mean reasonably accurate, reasonably fast, with the ability to reload and be familiar enough to operate under stress and pressure and in low light environments, is really is not as complicated as it sounds. People who are ignorant about guns generally seem to assume it's an incredibly complex process better left to "professionals."

People roaming down the interstate yacking on the cellphone while propelling a 4,000+ pound vehicle at speeds in excess of 70mph is what scares the crap out of me. Driving a car is equally, if not more dangerous and complicated and operating a firearm. How many people can skillfully control a skidding or sliding vehicle? How many know how to handle a vehicle at high speeds, in slides, or over slippery surfaces? Very few, but I don't hear anyone complaining about that. What is it about guns that really gets people going?

I'm not saying, and have never said, that every last walking moron should be armed to the teeth. Training is necessary, but it's not that unreasonable.

People routinely spend $80,000+ for a four or more year college education that purportedly prepares them for the real world, not to mention graduate school. We'll spend $30,000 on a car and pay attention to all the safety features. We'll have our 16 year old kids take drivers ed and log the necessary driving training time before getting a license.

Why is it when it comes to the protection and safety of yourself and your family from evil people, do we just take it for granted, leave it to chance, or just assume we'll figure it out when we have to?

$1,000 will get you a perfectly decent handgun and 2-3 days of training on how to operate it safely and use it in a tactical or home-defense environment. Your "average Joe" spends three times that on a TV.

And there are plenty of classes available for little to no money, that are actually very very informative. Most are taught by ex or current law enforcement and military personell. I was a little embarrassed when I took my first home defense class at Shooter's Paradise in Woodbridge, but I learned so much I made my wife go, and I've taken other classes since. I wish the classes and an extensive screening process were mandatory as part of your first firearm purchase.

[mheisig]

Originally Posted by canthetuna

And there are plenty of classes available for little to no money, that are actually very very informative. Most are taught by ex or current law enforcement and military personell. I was a little embarrassed when I took my first home defense class at Shooter's Paradise in Woodbridge, but I learned so much I made my wife go, and I've taken other classes since. I wish the classes and an extensive screening process were mandatory as part of your first firearm purchase.

Very true - many of the basic classes are free or cost what amounts to pocket change.

I try to look at the whole situation from every possible angle, but I simply fail to see why people are so averse to the issue. There are many objection, most of which you hear over and over, and I simply don't think anyone of them hold much water.

I'm not going to try to force anyone to do anything they don't want. If someone just wants to say "Listen, I just don't want to own a gun, that's all there is to it," I can live with that. Personal choices.

It does bother me that there is apparently a substantial amount of ignorance and irrational fear, and I do my best to educate those who are willing to listen. I've trained several people to shoot, two women in particular who were extremely opposed to guns of any sort. They both enjoyed the initial training and now shoot regularly simply because they enjoy it as a hobby.