Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
by: Stephen LaSpina
As we approach the new year, many of us are contemplating goals we would like to achieve in the next twelve months. I have one for gun owners like you and me. If you have not taken formal, in-person firearms instruction yet, make it happen this coming year.
When considering a new resolution, there are often obstacles that appear in which we may make excuses for not striving toward our goal. Here are three common excuses instructors often hear.
1. “But my life is so busy.” True. We are all busy. But how we spend our time shows what we value. If we value being properly trained with our guns, this is something we should make time for. It’s the responsible thing to do.
2. “I’ve been shooting for years.” Cool. But casual plinking at the range is not “training.” A good firearms instructor will fix inefficiencies with your technique that you are not even aware of. Trust me; you will be amazed at what you learn. We don’t know what we don’t know!
3. “I’m former military/law enforcement.” Thank you for your service. But using a gun defensively in a civilian context is a different endeavor than using a gun in your former role. And, frankly, military branches and law enforcement agencies are often slow to adopt modern shooting curriculum. Their material is often a decade or more out of date. You owe it to yourself to obtain high-quality, up-to-date instruction.
There are many benefits that occur when attending a formal class. Here are just three:
1. Dedicating your effort and energy in solid time blocks helps you better retain the material and skills you build over the long term. It’s far different than watching a short video or reading a book on being a better shooter. While those activities certainly have value, the in-person training tends to stick with people for the longer term.
2. When you gather with like-minded people at a training course, friendships tend to develop. I have met many amazing people at training classes, and some have become life-long friends. When you are all working towards a goal together in an area of shared interest, it’s amazing the bonds that can form.
3. Finally, this is what our founding fathers envisioned and even expected of responsible citizens. It says so right in the Second Amendment: they intended for the people to be “well-regulated.” This is often falsely interpreted as referring to regulations on the arms (guns) themselves, but it is actually referring to the people. They needed to be equipped and well-trained with their chosen firearms for “the security of a free state.” How efficiently and effectively do you think you could operate your firearm in a time of crisis? If you have any doubts, there is nothing like formal training to erase them.
So there you have it: no more excuses. The benefits are clear. Get formal firearms training in the New Year!