COLUMN: Gun use: Practice means safety

Recently, I went out to the Barrow County Sheriff Office’s gun range for a photo assignment, as on this particular day, they opened their arms to the public for a morning of shooting. I commend the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office for allowing the public to access their facility for a few hours. But that does not mean it is always open to the public. It’s first and foremost for training officers.

After I had left, I got to thinking “Why aren’t there any other gun ranges around?” I know there are a few in Lawrenceville and Athens, but none closer to home. Why? Gun owners need to be able to practice too.

For the most part, people who own guns enjoy hunting or want to protect themselves from harm.

My dad told me that sometimes the reason why gun ranges are closed is because they “disturb the peace.” Yes, we all know guns are loud. If a gun range has been in a community for 30 years, should it be closed because a neighborhood close to it that was just built seventh months ago complain about the noise? I think that’s wrong.

Look, if you don’t like the noise, don’t move there. It’s your choice.

I’ve grown to learn that being able to shoot a gun is a necessary skill one needs to know. Say you’re threatened at the ATM or someone breaks in your house, do you want to be completely defenseless?

I know that I don’t. But unfortunately most people are defenseless because they don’t know how to aim and fire very accurately. Shooting accurately is a skill that is acquired with practice, practice, practice. Well, how can you practice this needed skill when there are no close ranges to do so?

I know what the standard argument is: “Guns are dangerous and people could possibly get hurt.”

True, guns do hold a potential risk for accidents, but I know when I am old enough to purchase a gun myself, I want to make sure I know how to use it. If you know how to handle a weapon, the room for error will decrease.

Think about all the activities you or your children do from karate, boxing, motocross, football, baseball or fencing. Pretty much any sport is a little dangerous. These activities leave room for accidents, but isn’t the payoff wonderful? After training so hard for a match or game, you achieve something afterwards. Football you practice and practice until you play your heart out on Friday night. In karate you achieve a black belt.

Another common statement I’ve heard concerning guns is that they should be illegal and therefore the crime rate will go down. No, it won’t.

Let me explain to you how crime works. The ones committing the crime have already broken the law (that’s why it’s called crime) so they are the ones who will break the law again and use a firearm, which leaves the law-abiding citizen completely defenseless.

We have parks to walk our dogs in and we have public playgrounds for the children of the community.

If you want to protect yourself against someone who breaks into your home and you own a gun, you need to know how to wield it.

I’m going to preach to the choir for a moment. For the most part, people who own guns enjoy hunting or want to protect themselves from harm and people who don’t get the chance to practice their aim are more dangerous.

I could go on and on about the importance of having a gun range, however I’m willing to bet that most of the people reading this feel the same way I do. So, brace yourself folks. I’m about to get a tad bit political.

A problem most law abiding gun owners face is the government. Congress is always debating about Amendment II. I want to know why? Why do they feel they need to regulate firearms? Why do they put so many restrictions on it? Who do they think they are helping?

The second amendment states: “The right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

Sure, we still have the ability to bear firearms but government finds ways around that. Buying guns is difficult, the types of guns you can buy, having you apply for permits, all means to regulate and control the sale of firearms.

We all know the government loves to suck in our money and drive us even more into debt. Don’t you think if they stopped regulating the sale of firearms more people would buy and therefore they have more of our tax money to waste on their silly expenditures?

It makes perfect sense to me.

For some reason people can’t grasp the concept that regulating firearms just puts the law-abiding citizen in harm’s way. Criminals are criminals. If they are willing to rob a bank, they are willing to steal a gun.

Regulation is not the answer. Simply free up the markets and allow people to shoot their firearms. They have a right to own them, so why not let them have a right to shoot it?

Jessica Brown is the photographer for the Barrow Journal. You can reach her at jessica@picsbyjessica.com.