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I AM A GUN OWNER
by Michael Mitchell
I am a gun owner.
I have a beautiful wife and two wonderful children, whom I love
very much. I have a job I’m good at, that pays reasonably
well. I live in a modest house in the suburbs of a moderate-sized
American city.
I am a gun owner.
I pay the
taxes required of me. I have never been issued anything other
than a traffic warning by any law enforcement officer. I have
never accidentally or intentionally injured anyone. I have never
been in a physical fight. I abhor violence, and I believe in
gentle, rational problem resolution wherever possible.
I am a gun owner.
I support my local law enforcement
agencies, respecting the difficult work they do. I have been a
member of national police associations, dedicated to the
protection of civilians against criminal activity. I recognize
that the police cannot be everywhere at once, however, and that
they are not a bodyguard service. I am responsible for my
immediate protection.
I am a gun owner.
I teach
my children about the dangers of firearms. They are under strict
instructions never to touch a gun without an adult present.
However, I will gladly show them the weapons whenever they ask.
They have been instructed in basic gun safety rules. By so doing,
I remove the mystery surrounding guns and teach them
responsibility. More important, the “forbidden fruit”
of guns is no longer forbidden - removing its fascination.
I am a gun owner.
I do not hunt, but I respect the
freedoms of those who do. I recognize that hunting is a valuable
asset to our society, that it serves to control the populations
of species that would otherwise overrun their habitat and starve,
or suffer massive disease epidemics. I rarely participate in
sport shooting events, but I enjoy the competition and have
watched various types of shooting matches. I prefer a full-sized
handgun for defensive purposes, but I understand the needs of
those who cannot afford these tools and therefore choose the
smaller-caliber, affordable handgun for that purpose. My
preferred firearm action is semiautomatic - due to reduced recoil
and inherently safer design - but I respect those who choose other
types of weapons.
I am a gun owner.
I respect
your right to choose not to own guns. I ask that you respect my
choice to own personal weapons. I recognize that my ownership of
guns, in some measure, protects you, since the presence of guns
in civilian hands provides a general deterrent to crime. I hope
that you can realize this as well.
I am a gun owner.
I believe in the natural right of self-defense, exercised by
all living creatures. I believe that submission to violence only
breeds more violence, as it encourages the assailant, while
resistance discourages criminal behavior. I have never fired a
weapon at anything alive, and I hope never to have to. I am
resolute, however, that, should the need arise, I will use
whatever level of force is required to protect innocent lives,
including mine, my family’s, or some other person’s. As
is legal. And, unfortunately, sometimes necessary.
I am
a gun owner.
I believe in the importance of personal
responsibility. I recognize that ownership of guns carries with
it a profound requirement for careful management of their deadly
power. I am a fanatic regarding gun safety rules, and I cringe
when I watch Hollywood actors and politicians handle weapons. I
have carefully studied the legal requirements surrounding the use
of deadly force, and I have read many books and articles
detailing the various confrontational circumstances in which
other gun owners have found themselves. I have learned from their
mistakes, however minor.
I am a gun owner.
I
carry a gun with me most of the time. I recognize that the gun is
an emergency tool, to be used only when absolutely necessary. I
also recognize that crime knows no boundaries. Criminals do not
politely ply their trade only in so-called ‘high crime’
neighborhoods. No place is immune from criminal activity, so I
must always be prepared.
I am a gun owner.
I
lobby my legislators to leave intact my freedom to keep and bear
arms. I believe that ‘innocent until proven guilty’ is
still the law of the land and that, until proven otherwise,
private citizens are worthy to be trusted with guns. I merely
wish to be left alone by those in government, and to be
acknowledged as the peaceable person I am. I want government
officials and the media to stop blaming me for the crimes
committed by others. I want punishment to be directed at the
guilty parties, not at me.
I am a gun owner.
I
behaved peaceably today, as I have every other day of my life. As
I expect to behave tomorrow. I hope I never have to use deadly
force on another human being. I intend no harm to anyone unless
that individual gives me no other choice. And, even then, I will
only shoot if he fails to stop his activity when confronted with
a gun.
I am a gun owner.
I am just like
80,000,000 other Americans, your neighbors and friends. I am
safe, responsible, and stable. I merely recognize that my safety
is my responsibility, and no one else’s.
I am not
your enemy. I am your neighbor, and, I hope, your friend. I am a
gun owner.
Copyright 2000 Michael A. Mitchell. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce this article in its entirety, including this copyright notice. Mike writes for
http://www.KeepAndBearArms.com; read some of his other work at
http://www.KeepAndBearArms.com/Mitchell. You can contact Mike at
mmitch6121@aol.com.
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