As journalists it’s not our job to tell you whether or not to support stricter gun laws and new policy. Our role in the national conversation is to inform the public about the debate, serve as a watchdog, and fairly represent varied viewpoints and place them in context.
The debate over gun policy has crossed economic, racial, gender and generational lines. Our readers watch closely what we say about the issue and how we say it. When we write about gun laws or policy it draws reader letters and generates ongoing conversation. It’s become an issue that appears political in discussions whether you consider yourself a “political person” or not.
For me, the decision to own a gun was never about politics. But recent violent crime among young people made me question having a gun in my home.
I decided recently it was time to get rid of my handgun not because of political persuasion and not because I was swayed by media reports. It’s simply what I wanted to do.
I didn’t grow up in a home with a gun. I only saw my grandfather with a rifle for hunting.
It wasn’t until I moved on out on my own that I thought about getting a gun. A decade ago while living in Kentucky my home was burglarized. Fear set in and I made my first visit to a gun store ready to arm myself and protect my home. But once there I changed my mind. I left with only a couple of containers of Mace.
I never really got over that burglary. When I moved to Atlanta, my desire for a gun intensified. After all I wasn’t in Kentucky anymore. I was in the “big” city. A friend helped me get comfortable with a gun by taking me to the range regularly. I remember being surprised at the lack of scrutiny there.
I became not only comfortable with, but educated about guns. I tried out several. My choice was the 9mm handgun.
I purchased a handgun after my second burglary. This time I wasn’t fearful, I was angry.
I wasn’t just angry about the burglary. I was angry at the police officer who shrugged it off as something that happens all the time and told me he didn’t get to the house sooner because he was working a traffic call. I was angry at neighbors who claimed not to see anything even though it was a sunny Saturday afternoon. I was angry that the criminals ignored the house alarm. I was angry that after fingerprinting, the officer said it appeared to be juveniles.
I purchased what I liked and believed my “nine,” as I called it, would keep me safe. If the alarm wouldn’t deter a burglar, certainly having a gun would.
Recently I began to think more about nagging concerns: what if I had a child in my home, and what if I got burglarized again and they stole the gun — whose hands would the gun end up in? Those concerns encouraged my decision to get rid of my gun. When the College Park City Council announced a gun buyback program, I saw it as an opportunity.
When I arrived at the College Park City Auditorium last Saturday there were over 100 people in line. I knew city officials had only approved $20,000 for the event and they were offering up to $150, depending on the weapon. I figured they’d run out of money.
Outside the auditorium people held signs that read “cash 4 guns.” One sign said “don’t wait in line, we’ll pay you here.”
I parked and immediately was surrounded by men asking to see my gun. One man offered $100. The guy behind him offered $250. I asked one guy what he did with his guns. He told me he was a gun collector. The guy behind him laughed sarcastically. OK, really, I thought, who “collects” 9mm guns?
This whole experience made me queasy. I got back in my car with my head pounding. It wasn’t supposed to be this hard.
What if I sold it to the “collector” and it ended up in the hands of a criminal. At least I knew police were destroying guns turned in at the buyback. Sitting in my car, I recalled the two concerns that got me there in the first place. I won’t reveal what I decided to do with my gun because, again, it’s personal, not political.
College Park officials did run out of money before the event ended. In just a few hours, more than 170 weapons were turned in.
There’s a lot that goes into the decision of having a gun or getting rid of one. Whatever your decision is, it’s important to be a responsible gun owner. Politics aside, that’s what matters more to me.
