I used to have a gun in Philadelphia. I carried it exactly once.  It was too easy to get a concealed carry permit and I honestly just didn’t want to shoot myself, especially because I did want future children.

I did take a team once to the Department’s shooting range.  One of the team was a former Secret Service uniformed officer.  He could shoot like Stephen Curry on a baby hoop.  He was just showing off at one point, hitting faraway targets like nobody’s business.  Me?  Not bad for a civilian.

I had colleagues who loved their guns.  One even had three on his person – sidearm, shoulder, ankle.  My friend jokingly tells me – what is this – Lethal Weapon?  Someone did tase himself by accident at his desk – not funny, also very funny.  For the work our unit was doing, guns were useless.  The conflict was moral and mental.  I told my colleagues they couldn’t shoot their way out of this.  

I’ve been teaching the kids that their best weapon is their mind.  Sharpen and develop it, it’s their best shot at addressing any situation.  The movie scene that illustrates this concept well is from Zhang Yimou’s “Hero” where two warriors conduct a fight almost completely in their minds, playing out every move.

That being said, physical weapons do matter.  Not opposed to them, but wary.