FIREARMS:
Nor myself or any of my immediate family members own or use them, but I think that is important to be educated on the subject. In 2010, there were six hundred self-inflicted accidental deaths caused by improper use of firearms (Courtley, 2012). This is a scary statistic, and reinforces the idea that firearm owners and users must be highly educated on safety procedures, and lock up their firearms. Attending a course given by an expert will help you use a firearm proficiently. Then you should practice using it at a designated firing range (Courtley, 2012). Storage is something I think is extremely important, especially if your home has children. Courtley recommends a fingerprint-recognition safe, as well as trigger locks for rifles and shotguns.
As far as operation and safety, the book has a list of basic and general safety rules that always apply even though each firearm is different. Some points on the list include always assuming the firearm is loaded, never pointing the firearm at something you don’t intend to kill (this was an excellent point in my opinion because you obviously know you shouldn’t wave it around, but the way it’s worded really puts things in perspective), keep the safety on until you are ready to fire, keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire, take a safety course and practice as much as you can.
I personally would not own a firearm, but I understand individuals who make the choice to, and I think we have to accept that we live in a world where it’s an unavoidable fact that some individuals will own and operate firearms. It is important to follow procedures and take safety courses in order to properly and efficiently use a firearm and avoid fatalities due to careless or ignorant mistakes.
References:
Courtley, C. (2012). SEAL Survival Guide. New York, NY: Gallery Books
think safety blog 