Yesterday my brother took me shooting for the first time. I had never shot a gun before although I have seen guns and heard them fired nothing really prepares you for the thud a gun produces in your body once it is fired. It's astounding, almost magical, and intoxicating all at the same time but I was apprehensive to fire a gun. Although I love shooting BB guns and slingshots at cans (I can literally do it for a week and never get bored) a gun was the weapon used to kill my father.
I remember being a little kid and telling my mom I wish guns had never been invented, or asking can they make them illegal. I mean I guess if my dad had been killed by a knife I don't think it wouldn't make never cut a sandwich again. This thought also brings to mind the utility of dangerous weapons. I can cut rope, sandwiches, sticks for marsh-mellows all with a knife. There is almost no utility for a gun other than hunting, unless you find yourself on a Dan Bilzerian trip and you need a quick way to open your beers.
It's hard for me to believe that someone can point one of these things at another human being. The sheer power of it is almost godlike and it is EXTREMELY fun to shoot at targets... you know the metal ones that aren't conscious don't have families, thoughts, or loved ones.
I remember riding a dirt bike as a kid and the first 3 days on it I thought it was too fast that I would kill myself on this thing because I couldn't control it. Then after riding it for a week it felt slow as molasses and I immediately wanted something faster. I only went shooting once but I could feel a similar power with a gun. It's so powerful, but the next one is more power, or more accurate and shoots differently. I could see how someone could see how someone could get desensitized to using a gun and forget how much destruction it is capable of.
With all of that being said I still don't blame the gun for killing my dad I blame the person who did it and the situation that he was in. For responsible and mentally sound people shooting is an extremely fun recreational sport, and also a way to protect themselves and their families from the rise of mass shootings in the United States. Where do I stand on this issue? I am not sure yet really. I don't personally think I need a gun at this moment in my life. What I do know for sure is that nobody but the military or law enforcement needs a fully automatic or high capacity magazine.
Maybe one day I'll want to buy a gun but for now I'll just stick to sling shots and going shooting when my brothers invite me.
