A handgun permit gets approved on the day of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Connecticut.
On the day of the deadly shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation approved my application for a handgun license.
Looking at that date dampens my enthusiasm.
I applied for the permit as part of a
Tulsa World story about Oklahoma’s new law to allow for open carry.
I had never before fired a gun even though I grew up in rural Oklahoma.
My parents weren’t against gun ownership, it just wasn’t something they had an interest in.
Though, my father did not allow hunters on our land for fear of a stray bullet hitting a cow, dog or daughter.
They certainly never lived through the gun rampages that have plagued our country for the past 15 years.
As the deadline for the law change neared, I jumped at the chance to experience shooting a weapon.
The instructors at the Tulsa Firearms Training Academy wisely suggested taking a beginner course, which they say few go through before applying for a handgun permit.
They are real professionals, explaining everything from safety and stance to the law.
Firing a weapon was a heady experience for the power of it.
It was also fun, and I can see it being addictive as a sport.
If I learned anything, it was how incredibly hard it is to shoot well.
Even in the best conditions at a shooting range, accuracy is difficult.
It’s the No. 1 reason why the instructors encourage practice.
From the time of my application to approval, it took a little less than two months.
While I now have a legal right to carry a handgun openly or concealed in many places, I don’t know if that’s wise.
Of all the national tragic shootings, Sandy Hook shook my world off kilter.
The children who were killed are the same ages of my own, including one girl with the same name as my daughter.
The shooter was just outside boyhood himself and armed with legally purchased weapons.
It’s again brought up emotions in the debate, drawing lines between the anti- and pro-gun movements.
There is the National Rifle Association on one side and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence on the other.
Both pretty unwavering in their positions.
I’m not sure where the compromises and changes need to be made.
It’s clear what we are doing in our country is not working, and there won’t be one solution to getting at the root of these tragedies.
For now, I’m tucking my permit into my purse.
I’m not ready to jump into the world of guns right now.
I have the legal right to carry a gun, but I'm not comfortable doing so at the moment.
Someday, maybe.
