The weight of steel, cool against the palm, carries a history both fraught and fundamental. It is a history I inherited, honed in the structured chaos of military training and two deployments to Afghanistan, and now seek to translate into a legacy of empowerment. The Second Amendment, a phrase often weaponized in partisan battles, holds a simple, visceral truth: the right to self-preservation. This right, I believe, transcends political rhetoric and resonates with an elemental human need.
My sons, like all children, deserve the tools to navigate a world that can be both beautiful and brutal. Firearms, in their proper context, are tools, no different than a hammer or a wrench. The crucial difference lies in the responsibility they demand. I teach my sons the same discipline I learned: respect for the weapon, meticulous safety protocols, and the understanding that lethal force is a last resort, a solemn decision.
This knowledge, however, should not be confined to my immediate family. The world, particularly for marginalized communities, can be a place of heightened vulnerability. My queer and trans friends, often targets of hate and violence, deserve the means to protect themselves. The statistics are stark, the stories harrowing. In a society where safety is not guaranteed, the ability to defend oneself becomes paramount.
I offer firearm familiarization, not as a celebration of violence, but as a practical act of solidarity. It is a declaration that fear need not be a constant companion. We begin with the fundamentals: firearm safety, proper handling, and marksmanship. The range becomes a space for focused concentration, a place where anxiety yields to controlled action.
The goal is not to create a militia, but to cultivate a community of informed and responsible individuals. We are not preparing for a war, but for the possibility of a single, desperate moment. We are building confidence, not aggression. The act of learning to handle a firearm safely and effectively can be deeply empowering, a tangible assertion of agency in a world that often seeks to deny it.
Some may find this approach controversial, a contradiction to progressive ideals. But true progressivism, I believe, must encompass the right to self-determination, the right to exist without fear. To deny any individual or group the means to protect themselves is to perpetuate the very systems of oppression we seek to dismantle. The Second Amendment, like all rights, should be accessible to all, not just a select few. The ability to defend oneself is not a privilege, but a fundamental human right, a right I am committed to sharing with my sons, my friends, and my community.
~ Anth
Firearm Safety Team (FST) 