They ’ re not necessarily who you ’ d expect . One is a holistic healing practitioner . Another , a lawyer who has been targeted by threats of violence , wants to not only get her concealed carry license but also learn how to use a concealed firearm in a dangerous situation .
Steve is serious about guns , but not overzealous . It ’ s interesting to note the difference between his sober , rigorous approach to self-defense and the more , shall we say , exuberant attitude of Tom . Both agree , for example , that the handgun should not have a place of primacy in self-defense but take decidedly different roads to get there .
“ I don ’ t want to draw my firearm ,” Steve explains . “ It ’ s my last resort ” — one he turns to only after less lethal means like verbal intimidation and pepper spray have proven inadequate to counter a threat .
Tom , on the other hand , advises , “ Your handgun is only your secondary weapon . You ’ re just using that to get back to your primary weapon , the rifle in your truck .”
Suffice to say , Tom and I have different ideas about the threats to personal safety we may encounter in our daily lives .
The bread-and-butter of Rising Shield Consulting is a basic handgun safety course that ’ s intended to prepare one for the Pistol Revolver Test and Certification — or the “ blue card ” test — one must pass to legally purchase a handgun in the state . Over the course of roughly two hours , in my backyard on a chilly afternoon , he walks me through the 101 class of handgun types and parts , how they work , how to properly handle them and , just as important , how not to .
As we cover the basics of “ presenting the firearm ” ( i . e . holding and aiming it in preparation to shoot ), sighting a target and safely dealing with misfires , I feel a new and unexpected sense of respect . The four handguns Steve employs for the occasion no longer seem like mere implements of violence or , for some , objects of fetish . They are tools and using them is a skill to be developed . Not that far back in our collective history , it would have been an essential life skill , like building a fire or navigating with a map and compass . I find myself wanting to learn .
So , Steve takes me to Wallum Lake Rod and Gun Club in Burrillville , where he is a member , for my first shooting session with a handgun . He brings a . 22 , two 9-millimiters and a . 45 , with which we run through about 200 rounds of ammunition .
People often describe the thrill and feeling of power that course through them when they fire a gun for the first time . Up in Vermont with the AR-10 , I felt almost nothing . It just didn ’ t get me off . Firing a handgun for the first time , however , I did feel something . It is not a cheap thrill or delusion of bad-assery . Rather , I am humbled by an awesome sense of responsibility and discipline . In my hand I hold a tool that demands respect at all times . I would show it that respect by learning how to use it effectively .
Shooting a handgun with proficiency is difficult . Even my gun-loving friend Tom admits , “ I ’ ve been practicing for years to just be okay at it .” It ’ s not like in the movies . For anyone considering a pistol for self-defense , thinking you ’ ll simply draw down
and light up some bad guys John Wayne-style , think again .
In fact , that ’ s exactly the reason neither Steve nor Tom recommend handguns for the casual home defender . Instead , they suggest shotguns . They ’ re easier to use , don ’ t require much accuracy , and the universally recognized sound of a shotgun being cocked is a way of saying “ Take another step and you ’ re going to have a very bad day ” that transcends language .
This leaves me wondering : Are we just kidding ourselves about owning handguns for “ home defense ”? Safety protocol would dictate keeping it in a locked box , separate from the ammunition . Is the average person , who probably hasn ’ t practiced enough to achieve proficiency at a range , never mind in a high-pressure situation , really going to retrieve their gun and ammo in a moment of danger and effectively use them to neutralize a threat ? Or are they just making it more likely that they or someone else in their household will be shot ? As research by the group Everytown for Gun Safety notes , access to a firearm triples one ’ s risk of suicide and doubles the risk of death by homicide .
For perspective , I reach out to Steve Mondaca , a retired Army infantryman who served a combat deployment in Afghanistan . He ’ s also involved with Project Overwatch , a group that works to reduce suicide among veterans . He notes that simply holding a firearm is a show of force that can dissuade most intruders .
He also points out that his calculation when it comes to safety in the home is a bit different than mine . I live in Providence , near both police and fire stations . Patrol cars regularly drive past . I could probably sail a paper airplane into my neighbor ’ s open window from mine . By contrast , Steve is in central Coventry , set back from the road and out of sight from all but one neighbor .
“ If something happens in my home , it ’ s incumbent on me to be able to handle it . If I ’ m away , my wife is home with two kids . She ’ s cut off from the world ,” he explains . “ We have to be able to handle whatever happens here before we are able to reach out to the police or fire department . I have this house set up in such a manner that we can react to anything we need to and then call 911 for support . That extends from the firearms to the fire extinguishers .”
Point taken .
E
VERYTHING I AM LEARNING AND EXPERIENCING is nudging me closer to gun ownership . Still , I can ’ t help feeling my perspective is incomplete . I am well within the NRA ’ s core demographic and am getting all my advice from other members of that demographic . I really want to speak with someone whose experience is much different from my own .
A friend connects me to Colin Mapp , former Marine , national outreach director for the National African American Gun Association ( NAAGA ) and member of the Bass Reeves Gun Club in Georgia .
Colin grew up in Queens , New York , in a neighborhood where “ crime was an issue ,” as he puts it . Despite New York City ’ s strict laws around gun ownership and concealed carry , he began packing a firearm for personal protection . “ I did it anyway because I felt my safety was that important .”
When he moved to Georgia about six years ago , he found a stark contrast with respect to limitations | | CONTINUED ON PAGE 111
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l APRIL 2021 49