I met up with an old friend¹ of mine this morning and we went to the Big Town Gun & Knife show in Mesquite.  The show appeared to be well attended, because the main lot was completely full and we ended up parking way out in BFE.  My friend is not a “gun person”, although he’s used them a couple of times and he’s contemplating purchasing something for home protection now that he has bought a house.

As we went through the show he remarked that he was surprised at the number of people who were there (as well as the variety of guns that were available).  It made me realize that the community of gun owners is generally a quiet one.  Most gun people don’t make an issue of their gun ownership (I generally don’t do it unless I know someone, this web site notwithstanding) and they don’t cause problems for others.  While that certainly says good things about gun owners as a whole, it also points out a weakness.  The weakness is that many people think they don’t know a gun owner and that gun owners are some weird breed (maybe they glow in the dark or something).  If someone doesn’t know any member of a group it makes it easier for them to build inaccurate stereotypes about that group.  In turn, this allows them to accept restrictions on that group, since they don’t see anyone they know being harmed by those restrictions.  Perhaps those of us who own guns should stand out more as an example to those around us.  If people see other people who are a lot like them, but who just happen to own guns, it makes it harder for them to buy into the distorted and misleading stereotypes being pushed by the anti-gun forces.

I’m looking forward to next Saturday when I will be taking another friend to the range for the first time.  I am going to introduce her to shooting with one of my .22 pistols.  I’ve found that the .22 is great for beginners because the reduced recoil and noise allow them to concentrate on safe handling and basic shooting skills.  I wish I’d started off that way (the first handgun I ever fired was a .44 back when I was really young and stupid).  But the first thing I always do is to give a talk on the The Three Rules™².  I want people to enjoy shooting and to be safe.  I like having company at the range (there’s nothing quite like being on the firing line with 7 or 8 people around you all firing at the same time).  While shooting is an activity that tests the skills of the individual, I think it can also provide an opportunity for group interaction (I think the word I’m seeking is comaraderie).  I’m hoping that her first experience with guns will be positive and that she’ll want to go again.  If she isn’t interested in the sport, then at least I hope she comes away with a new respect for it.

¹ Now that I think about it, it’s kind of interesting.  He’s the only person from my high school days that I’m still in touch with on a regular basis.

Which brings me to the fact that I’ve noticed in my referrer logs that I’ve gotten some hits from my Classmates.com profile.  If you went to Big Sandy High School (or East Texas State University), don’t be afraid to send me an email (the address is up there in the top of the left column).  I won’t bite (at least I generally don’t, unless someone riles me up by talking about gun control ).

²The Three Rules™:

1. Always treat every gun as if it were loaded.
2. Always keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to fire
3. Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction

While there are more rules (if I recall correctly, the NRA lists 10), these three will keep you safe if you adhere to them religiously.

Update: Unfortunately, it looks like other events will keep my friend from joining me at the range on Saturday.