I stood inside the shooting range behind a gun shop in Bellevue, Washington, looking at the dozens of pistols and rifles hanging in display cases and along the walls. I felt helpless.
My instructor, Jules, was next to me, both of us having just worked long shifts. I had a ten-hour day as a speech pathologist at an elementary school; Jules came from working a double as a security officer at FEMA. The bearded guy behind the counter was personable, speaking gently as he checked my ID. He presented me with a waiver to sign and reviewed the top four rules of gun safety. He picked up a handgun: “Always treat guns as if they are loaded.” He pointed it at the ground and told me to always direct guns away from my body or any other living creature. “Keep your finger straight and along the receiver until you’re ready to fire,” he said. “And be sure of both your target — and anything around it.”
Or, as Jules put it, “Never point a gun at anything you do not intend to destroy.”
