If you haven't noticed, I really like Professor Yamane's students' writing on their first interaction with firearms. “My Opinion Has Become More Complicated”
This is a fairly common starting position.
Before this trip, I had never touched a gun or ever wanted to be near one. I have always held the belief that I am against guns, largely based on my fear of them. Despite my grandfather being a Marine and a New York City cop, I have always feared guns and associated them with violent actions.
Most of my understanding of guns has come from what I have seen in the media and heard about gun violence, rather than from actually being around firearms.
Starting from the media-induced fear and loathing, this student at least saw a small change in her relationship to firearms, by realizing that the fear is not the whole story.
One of the things I like about Professor Yamane's writing, and what I know of the way he runs his seminar, Sociology of Guns, is that he is all about facts and truth. Guns are dangerous. Guns are fun. Guns are used for bad acts, and for legal self-defense. He doesn't vilify one side, or sugarcoat anything.
Click thru for the details on the seminar, and more on this particular student's experience.
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