Freshly-minted TTAG reader Kirsten Meisner writes:
I’m a native resident of Connecticut, an often hippie-minded individual, sheltered from the realities of violence that are pervasive even in an increasingly educated world, turned off by violent video games and boyfriends who play them. Firearms technologies have skyrocketed along with the number of people who can afford to purchase them. The obsession is tempting just like any expensive hobby that involves an element of danger or adrenaline. But this hobby has a practical side as well, one of protection . . .
As a former athlete, I feel empowered when I am physically strong. I don’t feel empowered when I am around a strong person, only when I am strong does my confidence kick in. So what was my experience shooting a gun for the first time?
Like any good sport, there’s an art to it. It’s not just about pulling the trigger and watching your target explode. Although the recklessness involved with exploding shit is fun, the whole practice of setting up your gun, feeling the sleek metal in your hands, holding it with a grip that makes it feel like it is an extension of yourself, concentrating on the target and letting your finger gently pull the trigger. You lose yourself in that moment, and then the recoil brings you back into action.
I could have stayed out there all day shooting. It definitely changed my understanding of the sport. It also further confirmed my understanding of truth existing in that shallow valley where liberalism and conservatism collide. Freedom feels good. That is all.
[Take a newbie shooting, take a video/pic, ask them to write it up and email it to thetruthaboutguns@gmail.com. We’ll send them a free box of Sinterfire frangible, non-lead 9mm ammo.]