Gun Safety, Marksmanship, Fear, and You.

Many of us grew up being told to stay away from guns, not to touch them, to have nothing to do with them, and even to be afraid of them. This mindset has only resulted in more accidents as people rarely know how to handle guns safely and they end up making fatal mistakes.

The solution I feel most appropriate to solve this isn’t the banning of gun ownership, stricter laws, or any of that kind of stuff, rather an opportunity to learn about them, how they work, how to handle them, and their use. I believe familiarity could help lower these kinds of accidents. Of course this type of thing isn’t for everyone. I’m not advocating that everyone pick it up as a hobby, but rather being educated on them similar to how we learn about basic safety in the kitchen, in the car, and in public. Rather than being taught to be afraid of guns, I feel that we shouldn’t be bothered by the sight of one like some are today.

I feel the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) fills in this role, offering a plethora of classes, resources, and competitions all surrounding the safe and proficient use of firearms (I must say now that I have no affiliation or ties to the CMP and write this as a simple supporter). Their mission statement easily fits something I can support:

“The mission of the Civilian Marksmanship Program is to Promote Firearm Safety and Marksmanship Training With an Emphasis on Youth. Our Vision is That Every Youth in America Has the Opportunity to Participate in Firearm Safety and Marksmanship Programs.”

Originally taking root in 1903, the CMP started off as a military program that trained US civilians into marksmen if the need ever raised that they would be called to war; which of course happened. After 1916 they changed their focus to youth education and training while Army remained in charge. The government has funded the CMP as an individual program since 1996. Today they operate throughout the US, with offices in Anniston, Alabama; Camp Perry in Ohio; and in Talladega, Alabama (home to their largest range). Today they deal in sales of surplus military rifles to their members and affiliates as well: typically World War II era rifles such as the M1 Garand and the M1 Carbine, as well as various .22s and airguns.

In later sections I’ll cover the various classes and opportunities that the CMP affords our country, and how they fit my goal of a safer nation without the need to disarm the populace. As a quick preview they offer classes ranging from marksmanship (obviously) to gunsmithing as well as sponsoring clubs nationwide. The CMP and gun-owners across the country have quite a few overlapping desires: namely the promotion of firearms and their safety. Given unfortunate recent events, the media by and large moved to create an air of fear around guns and their use, and I wish this stigma will dissipate. If more people gave the CMP a consideration, they may become familiar with firearms and overcome this fear. This built in fear can cause mishaps when handling a gun, and that may possibly hurt someone or something. This hobby has been a part of the American people since our very founding, and I do not wish to see it fade into the past. So I see the CMP as a good way of keeping both kids and adults in a safe environment that’ll teach them how to not only safely use a firearm, but respect it as well.

Briefly touching on gun safety, there are four main rules (covered in the next entry), but there’s one standout you should know for now: treat the gun as if it is ALWAYS loaded. When you pick up a gun, you may not know if it is or is not loaded — you don’t want to think its unloaded when it isn’t. A negligent discharge (ND) is an unwanted occurrence that can end up fatal. The next article focuses other rules of firearm use, as well as an expansion on the basic four.