This Buzzfeed video isn’t new, but it’s new to me. And no matter how old, the message still holds.
The clickbait hounds did a story on what happened when they took five self-described anti-gun liberals shooting guns for the very first time. Some of the participants’ comments will make you LOL. But their expressions and body language speak volumes in a common language I’ve seen hundreds of times as a firearm instructor.
The three and a half-minute video started out hard-core gun haters sharing their dislike of something they knew little about. “I don’t think there’s any reason to have guns in America,” said the first woman. “There should definitely be harsher gun control.” “Definitely,” said another.
And the male, wearing a “Winnebago Man” t-shirt, said, “It’s a national embarrassment at how many people are killed by gun violence.”
As a guy from the LA Gun Club explains how the gun works, the looks on the faces of three of the woman are priceless. Especially the blonde on the right.
Then they headed into the range and fire their first shots. The video (and whoever edited it) did a nice job of showing their excitement after shooting for the first time.
Yeah, I’ve seen that exact expression thousands of times from people shooting for the first time. Kids or adults…it’s the same thing. Especially when they shoot more guns than they thought possible and do well doing it.
The blonde who looked so terrified before they started shooting had this to say afterwards: “Just firing it once took a lot out of me. I was like, I fired once and then I wanted to take a nap.”
Maybe she needs to get into better shape. Here’s another first-timer after her first shots from the video:
You don’t see smiles like that at Moms Demand Action events. This woman, with that big smile, described how her heart raced so fast with excitement and exhilaration. Again, you don’t get that kind of reaction at a Giffords gun control rally.
But you see it all the time at NRA Youth Shooting Camps (2019’s camp | 2018’s camp 1 2 | 2017’s camp 1 2).
Even Winnebago Man had a good time pulling a trigger.
After they finished their shooting, the African-American woman said she “was getting sickened about feeling enjoyable about it.”
“Not every fun thing is legal,” another said.
Obviously none of them suffered a sudden change in their deeply held prejudices against civilian gun ownership, but the experience certainly planted a few freedom seeds in their minds. Seeds that might sprout someday to bring them around to embracing gun ownership…and maybe even gun rights.
Planting those seeds is the big reason we should all take at least a couple of non-gun owners out to fire their first shots each and every year. Tomorrow is the last day of National Shooting Sports Month, so there’s still some time to get a newb behind a gun. And even if you missed this month, there are plenty of good months left in 2019.
Young, old, it doesn’t matter. Plant those seeds and let them sprout on their own in due time.
If you’re lucky, you’ll get the satisfaction of seeing a look like this on their faces. And that smell when you shoot? Or from a freshly-fired cartridge case? That’s the smell of freedom.