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.