Mark Morford: Buy a Gun

[Kaleva]

96. Remember, you are buying a gun because you intend on using it to kill another person

If the situation warrants it.

There's a difference between the training one gets in the military and the training you take in the civilian world. In the military, the emphasis is on protecting a position or a thing and losses are acceptable. In the civilian world, the emphasis is on protecting one self or loved ones and casualties are to be avoided. Retreat is to be avoided in the former while it is the preferred route in the latter .

While one can acquire knowledge on handling a gun in the military, the mindset is different.

You should expect to be putting in many hours of training over the course of weeks to achieve a level of proficiency. State standards are laughable. Guns are extremely dangerous so you really need to set a much higher standard for yourself. Once you reach that level, then you need to spend time weekly practicing the skills you learned.

Another thing you need to think out is how you'll use the gun in various situations. What is the plan if the grandkids are over and Magahats kick in the door? What is the plan if you and your husband are in bed and you hear something unusual, either outside or in the house? You and your husband will need to think of all the possible scenarios where you may think the use of a gun is warranted and come up with a plan and then practice those plans on a regular basis

If you draw your gun, you do so because you are in a situation where you intend to kill another human.