I don't normally write political pieces for the sheer purpose of distinguishing a bias with my readers. I want to be able to reach several audiences with my words and not limit myself to those who are entertained by heated debates on who is wrong and who is right. As a writer, I like to stay objective and honest, with no aim to change anyone's opinion; I simply just want to voice my own.

Choosing not to write political pieces, as a journalist, is extremely difficult when trying to establish credibility, but perhaps I will change my ways in the future. I wish we lived in a world where it didn't feel like we had to explain the political party that we recognize with, or the lack thereof at this point.

That being said, the second amendment is controversial to many: the right of the people to keep and bear Arms.

On the spectrum of whether or not people should be able to obtain guns, I think that they should have the ability and freedom to do so... to an extent. Mental illnesses, crime, and being profoundly malevolent are real things we have to worry about as a society. Therefore, extensive background checks and evaluations should be done in order to maintain the safety of all parties. There are several different incidents that can stem from misusing a firearm or not acquiring the proper etiquette for operating and carrying a gun. People tend to be ignorant when it comes to these weapons, and this shouldn't be the case for such a powerful, killing machine.

In my opinion, it should be mandatory for every gun owner and shooting range attendee to take a gun safety course before shooting and owning a gun. To support this idea, I had the opportunity to partake in a gun safety class and felt that it was important for me to share my experience and thoughts on the subject.

I participated in a day-long class for women, taught by qualified women. The mission was to be educated on firearm safety and self-defense, while instilling self-confidence and knowledge about situational awareness, motivating females to be self-reliant. This program strives to promote a positive influence on women's perception of firearms, lessening the fear of being vulnerable in violent, intrusive situations.

After learning about gun safety in the classroom, we moved onto the shooting range portion of the course where we engaged in hands-on instruction. We shot 10 rounds each on a .22 and 9 mm hand gun. We put one bullet in the magazine at a time for the purpose of repetition and forming good gun-handling habits. We were closely monitored and constantly reminded to remove our finger from the trigger when we were not shooting, to take our time lining up our guns with the target, and maintain a proper shooting stance.

Overall, it was an adrenaline filled day. It was fun and I felt empowered when I hit the target, but I also felt dangerous at the same time. Handling a gun is serious business and this statement alone is not enough to illustrate the importance of the matter. There is so much attention and awareness that goes into safely shooting a gun that I wouldn't have known about if I hadn't taken this class. It made me realize that it is a privilege to shoot and possess a gun.

While I believe in the second amendment and respect those who feel the need to own firearms, I wouldn't want to be a gun owner at this time. I would rather use other self-defense methods before resorting to a firearm for protection and keep shooting for a leisurely activity.