Student Essays on First Exposure to Firearms

Every year that Professor Yamane teachs (runs?) his seminar on the Sociology of Guns, he posts some of the student essays, if they grant him permission to do so. They are usually interesting. We have 2 such essays today.

The first meeting of the seminar is actually a field trip to a local range. (If I remember, they actually go in small groups, which helps with safety, and the length of time the students are just standing around.) Students must attend the field trip, but they do not have to shoot any of the firearms.

This essay is their reaction to field trip. The majority of students, even at a university in South Carolina, have no experience with firearms. A few identified themselves as having "a small amount" of experience, and only 2 identified themselves as having "significant experience with firearms."

First up we have Hannah: “The more we did it, the more natural it became”

My first time ever holding a gun was only a week before visiting the shooting range with my group. Before visiting, I was filled with anxiety. I wasn’t expecting this, even though I grew up in Florida and was constantly surrounded by talk of guns. Even holding one made me nervous because I had never touched one before.

Next, we have Robert: “The smell, recoil, and weight of the firearm quickly bring you to reality”

Entering the range today, I had very little prior experience with guns. My knowledge and perspective of guns were influenced by video games (Call of Duty) and the news. These video games fueled a small fascination with guns that was never fully realized.

Click thru for the essays in question.

This year students have been particularly reluctant to give permission. Cancel culture is a thing, after all. See The Best Student Essays I May Never Post, for the reasons.

Unlike years past, I am facing an interesting dynamic right now: The reflections were collectively the best set I have received, but the students are collectively more reluctant to share them than ever. If I don’t post as many range reflections as I have in previous years, this is why.

And you should be reading Light Over Heat with Professor David Yamane. It is usually an interesting read, even when the Professor and I disagree about something. We actually agree about more than you might think, but then I disagree with the NRA about a lot of things as well.