There is a lot of controversy surrounding the topics of guns and gun control in today’s media. On top of that, numerous tragedies involving guns have occurred on college campuses in the recent past. Due to the fact that I am a college student myself, those tragedies hit close to home. Instead of writing about those occurrences, analyzing the past shooters, and talking about how if our country had different laws than those shootings would not have happened, I am going to write about something else. I am going to explain to my audience why I, a 21-year-old college junior, own a gun.
To answer any immediate questions, yes I obtained my gun 100 percent legally. The money came from my parents, but I am in possession of all of the correct paperwork, IDs and forms. I have a completely normal past and no history of mental health issues. While I am a conservative on many issues, I am not a crazy, hard-core, right-wing Republican. My parent also didn’t brainwash me or force me to own my gun. It is a decision I made on my own, and here’s why:
I know how to properly use and care for a gun.
I have been going to shooting ranges for as long as I can remember. While I’m not a professional, I do have proper training and I know how to hit a target. I started hunting when I was in elementary school. I also keep my gun in a safe place with the safety on. I don’t treat it like a toy or like it is anything other than what it is — a deadly weapon. I know what situations are and are not appropriate for using such a weapon.
I grew up around guns.
My mother, father and step-father are all retired police officers. Because of this, my parents always had guns by their bedsides. It was something that gave me a sense of comfort. Being a child of police officers, I was never naive about what goes on in the world even at a very young age. I always knew that there were bad people that did bad things. I knew that a gun in my parents’ hands meant that they could protect our family against these people if need be, and they raised me to do the same for my future family.
My gun makes me feel safe.
People who were not exposed to guns the way I was might cower in fear at the sight of one. If you were never taught about them or even looked into gun control laws and their effects, then that is understandable, especially when you consider how the media portrays guns. I have friends who don’t understand why I have a gun and I don’t get mad at them for that, but when you sit back and realize the good a gun can do in the right hands then you might change your mind. I enjoy the feeling of knowing that I could stop someone from hurting me, my loved ones or any innocent person in need.
It is my second amendment right.
While I am not going to go on preaching about this, this right does mean something to me and I will always defend it. I grew up in Illinois not too far from the city, a part of our country that has arguably the strictest gun control laws in the nation. Now I go to school in Arizona, a state that has concealed and carry laws and many people that share my beliefs about guns. Based on this first-hand experience of mine, I can honestly say that I feel much safer walking the streets of Tucson than those of Chicago, and I think most people would feel the same.
