I did not grow up with guns. In my 20s, I became a licensed gun owner. I learned to shoot skeet and the proper way to handle and store a handgun. I no longer own a gun.
I had to talk someone down from ending their life with a handgun. It was terrifying.
I used to be a teacher. I have so many stories involving my brushes with and training against gun violence. I no longer teach.
When my son was 17, he gained access to a handgun. He got in our vehicle and attempted to take his life. The gun jammed. I thank God every day that it did.
A year later three of my son’s friends took their lives with a firearm. One, his best friend. He was his mother’s only child. After six years, it’s still hard to discuss.